Exclusive

American Idol Backstage Scoop: Randy Jackson Asked to Rethink His Exit

Plus, hear what the eliminated contestant had to say about just making the final cut

By Shawna Malcom May 10, 2013 5:01 AMTags
Candice Glover, Angie Miller, Kree Harrison, Top 3 American IdolMichael Becker / FOX

American Idol revealed its top two finalists tonight, but backstage, everybody was buzzing about the exit of the show's top dawg.

Candice Glover, who made the finale cut after unsuccessfully auditioning for Idol twice before, told us she felt honored to be a part of Randy Jackson's final season as a judge. "Randy's been here all the times that I was here, so he saw me grow and become an artist, not just a singer," she said. "I admire him and always look forward to his opinion, so I definitely don't think any season is ever gonna be the same without 'in it to win it' or 'yo, dawg.'

"He might need to rethink that [decision]!" she added. 

Fellow finalist Kree Harrison admitted Idol's last remaining original judge holds a special place in her Texas-sized heart. "Randy's always been so helpful," she said. "He always comes up after the show and gives us constructive criticism." Including tonight, when he offered the hard-luck country singer a tip for the season-12 finale: "He just said, 'Next week, don't think about it. Just sing your heart out.' And that's exactly what I'm gonna do. 

"I'm gonna give it my all, just so I'll have no regrets," continued Kree, who, thanks to the traditional post-show coin toss, will sing first next week. "Whatever happens, I'll know I did my very best."

She'll face stiff competition in Candice, who's totally in it to win it—even if, moments before the show ended, was totally convinced she was about to be sent packing. "I gave myself the talk," she told us. "You got to the top three. Top three is not bad, so make sure you don't be crawling all over the stage crying if you go home tonight. It's OK."

Instead, the person losing it onstage was Angie Miller, who'd told us the night before she was confident she'd be competing for the Idol crown and accompanying confetti shower. By the time we spoke to her backstage, the Boston-bred singer had pulled herself together, thanks in no small part to her brother, who'd revealed on Wednesday's show that he wouldn't be shaving until Angie won the Fox competition. After learning the disappointing results, Angie told us with a laugh, "My brother goes, 'Well, I guess now I'm not shaving until you win a Grammy!'"