At the end of an epic three-hour Easter episode of “American Idol” on April 20, 2025, host Ryan Seacrest revealed the final two contestants who didn’t advance to the top 20 of season 23. Nearly 30 million votes were cast after the top 24’s performances in Hawaii, Seacrest said on the show.
In total, four talented singers didn’t move on, including three young women — Penny Samar, Grayson Torrence, and Kyana Fanene. But fans seemed most stunned by the elimination of Mexican-American singer MKY, expressing on social media how distraught they were over the East Los Angeles crooner not making it through. In an Instagram post after the episode concluded, MKY insisted that his time on the show was “just the beginning” of his rise as an artist.
Captioning a photo of himself onstage, the 25-year-old wrote, “I’ll forever cherish these moments, memories & friends I’ve made on this journey and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to sing and represent LOS ÁNGELES on the national stage❤️🔥 Although my journey is now official over on @americanidol I’d like to welcome and embrace all the new love and supporters I’ve gained recently! Be ready because this is just the beginning🌟 EL TIEMPO DE DIOS ES EL TIEMPO PERFECTO”
MKY Fans Insist They’ll Stop Watching ‘American Idol’ After His Elimination
Hoping to become the first Hispanic winner of “American Idol,” MKY’s time on the show included impressing the judges during Hollywood Week with his full Spanish rendition of “Sabor a Mi” — which he called “a huge staple song of the culture.”
“It means a lot to me to be able to sing in Spanish on ‘American Idol,'” he said on the show. “I’ve waited my whole life for this opportunity. I’m hoping I can pull it off and maybe just show a different side of me.”
Fans at Disney’s Aulani swooned over his performance of “Adorn,” but their enthusiasm didn’t translate into enough votes to keep him in the competition. Countless fans expressed shock over his elimination on social media, with many insisting they would no longer watch the show.
One person wrote, “Can’t believe @mkyofficial didn’t make it ! Makes no sense he was everyone’s favorite!”
Another complained, “MKY! Was cheated! I’m not watching American Idol. He was the only reason why I was watching this show.”
“I won’t be watching this show anymore,” someone else commented. “MKY should’ve been top 5 hands down”
3 Women Cut From Top 24 Express Their Gratitude for the Show
Many fans were also sad to see Samar, Torrence, and Fanene cut from season 23. All three expressed their gratitude on social media after their eliminations, and fans flooded their posts with encouraging words.
Samar posted a video of the song she would have sung had she made it through to the top 20, “Impossible Dream,” and wrote, “so grateful for my time on American Idol. this song is super special to me and this is what I would have done for the ‘songs of faith.'”
Fanene, who got to meet many members of her extended family while performing in Hawaii, wrote in an Instagram post, “✨KYANA OHANA, I love yall endlessly.✨ I may not have gotten through to Top 20 but it’s a win win situation. I got to be on this show, find life long OHANA in these talented beautiful humans AND I AM SO BLESSED WITH ALL THE NEW FAM joining my journey in music. Love you and stay TUNED for new things on the horizon 👀”
Torrence shared a lengthy post in which she called her journey on “Idol” an “incredible blessing,” partly because she gained a new “family” with all of the contestants she bonded with — “some of the best people i’ve ever met in my life.”
“I wouldn’t be who i am today if i never did this,” she continued, “so thank you for everyone who pushed me to chase my dreams. this has been a crazy unexpected ride but i couldn’t be more grateful.”
Six more singers will be eliminated from the competition on April 21, as the top 14 are revealed on the two-hour show, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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Fans Shocked Over Who Didn’t Make ‘American Idol’ Top 20: ‘He Was Everyone’s Favorite’