Four "Idol" Hopefuls Eliminated

Fri., Feb. 24, 2006 9:45 AM PST by Sarah Hall

Four American Idol hopefuls sang their final note on the talent search Thursday, leaving 20 semifinalists still in the running.

Becky O'Donohue, Stevie Scott, Patrick Hall and Bobby Bennett were sent home after receiving the lowest number of votes from viewers.

O'Donohue, whose model looks failed to distract from her mediocre vocals during her performance Tuesday night, was the first to get the ax, drawing a tearful reaction from Paula Abdul.

"I think casting directors need to take a good look at you because the camera loves you," Abdul said.

For once, Simon Cowell was in agreement, though his delivery lacked Abdul's saccharine.

"I think you're going to be a very successful model," Cowell told the 25-year-old identical twin, who currently appears alongside her sister, Jessie, in a sexy Maxim Online spread. "And it's best to be great at something rather than not so good at something."

Next came the moment of truth for Bennett, who said he performed Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" on Wednesday's show at his grandmother's request and earned stinging criticism from Cowell as a result.

"If you hear a scream from a hotel room in Las Vegas, that's where Barry Manilow's watching this show," Cowell said. "That was a complete nightmare."

The negative review earned Bennett support from host Ryan Seacrest, who angrily laid into Cowell.

"I think all of them deserve a little bit of constructive criticism, if you want me to be honest with you," Seacrest snapped at the judge. "I think it's fair if you give a little constructive criticism every once in a while."

"Ryan, with respect, I do this for a living," Cowell replied. "I don't play at it like you."

Unfortunately for Bennett, Idol voters sided with Cowell, and awarded him the lowest number of votes among the male contestants.

The third hopeful to meet her demise was Scott. The classically trained opera singer made a poor impression with the male judges Tuesday with her rendition of "To Where You Are," though Abdul supported the performance.

"Honestly, dude, I found myself daydreaming while you were singing," Randy Jackson said, while Cowell said, "Stevie, I think you completely and utterly messed that up."

While the 19-year-old warbler promised to "bring it" in her next performance, viewers weren't willing to give her a second chance and she joined O'Donohue and Bennett in the loser's circle.

The final singer to get the boot was Patrick Hall, whose performance of Melissa Etheridge's "Come to My Window" was deemed "average" and "fidgety" by Cowell on Wednesday.

"It's a lesson learned," Cowell said Thursday after Hall was eliminated. "You have to stand out from the crowd. You didn't stand out from the crowd, simple as that."

Almost 40 million votes were cast after Tuesday's and Wednesday's performances, according to Fox.

With its current Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday schedule putting Idol on the air for a total of five hours each week, the reality competition has proven a formidable opponent to NBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics.

Now in its fifth season, the Idol momentum shows no sign of slowing, with close to 30 million viewers tuning in each night.

Next Tuesday will feature performances from the top 10 girls: Paris Bennett, Ayla Brown, Heather Cox, Brenna Gethers, Mandisa, Kinnik Sky, Melissa McGhee, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler and Lisa Tucker; followed on Wednesday by the top 10 guys: Kevin Covais, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, Will Makar, Gedeon McKinney, Jose "Sway" Penala, David Radford, Elliott Yamin and Ace Young. On Thursday, the four semifinalists who receive the fewest votes will again be sent home.