Friday, 23 Apr 2004
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The shock exit from "American Idol" of Jennifer Hudson, one of the strongest wannabe pop stars, may have been due in part to tornadoes in the Midwest that stopped devoted supporters from voting for her, Extra reported Thursday.
Hudson, considered among the best of the seven remaining finalists, was voted off the popular FOX TV show on Wednesday in what organizers said was one of the closest votes in "American Idol" history.
The syndicated TV entertainment newsmagazine Extra said that storms leading to a power outage in Hudson's Chicago hometown meant that some 15,000 fans were unable to watch Tuesday's performances or phone in their votes afterward,
Randy Jackson, one of the three "Idol" judges, told Extra in an interview that the power outage could have been a problem with Hudson's hometown votes.
"It was the closest votes ever in the season but I don't know if that was enough," Jackson said, describing Hudson's departure, which visibly upset several of the other finalists, as "crazy", "nuts" and "insane". But he added; "From this point on, one great person will go out a week."
The current third season of "American Idol", in which viewers vote by phone for their favorite singer, has been one of the most watched shows on U.S. television, attracting some 26 million viewers per episode. The two-part finale is scheduled for May 25 and 26.
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