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The latest episode of American Idol season 23 was released on March 30, 2025, on ABC. The American singing competition television series was created by Simon Fuller, which is hosted by Ryan Seacrest. Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie returned as judges, joined by season four winner Carrie Underwood, who replaced Katy Perry as a judge.
The previous episode saw 12 contestants earn golden tickets, including Freddie McClendon, the 19-year-old son of Davis McClendon. The latest episode concluded the audition rounds, which took judges to New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville to find the next American Idol.
The judges awarded 20 more contestants with a golden ticket and gave a 17-year-old the final platinum ticket of the season. The final audition round also saw a cameo appearance of a Netflix reality star.
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What happened in American Idol season 23 auditions 5?
The final audition round of American Idol season 23 began with a montage of notable auditions from the past four weeks. New coach Carrie Underwood, a season 4 winner, expressed her enjoyment of the experience, calling it "a fun ride." JMarie, a 28-year-old from Brooklyn, was the first to perform as she shared her Haitian heritage.
JMarie sang a soulful, slow version of Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats, which she considered a "hood anthem." Carrie Underwood initially worried about contestants singing her songs, but JMarie's performance impressed her. JMarie explained that she had not auditioned earlier due to negative comments about her appearance.
"There were so many times people told me that I wasn't pretty enough, slim enough and I just took myself out and I was scared," said JMarie.
JMarie received three yeses from the American Idol judges as she received a golden ticket. Zaylie Windsor was the next contestant to perform, accompanying herself on guitar. The 18-year-old performed her original song, which she wrote a few years back. She reminded Carrie of a young Taylor Swift. Zaylie also received 2 yeses and a golden ticket to the next round.
Afterward, two 17-year-olds, Nikki Rodrigues and Caroline Brett, were able to impress the judges with their auditions as they both received yeses from all the judges. Kaleo Knight, from the Los Angeles area, showcased her Hawaiian and Japanese heritage. She performed Jennifer Hudson's And I Am Telling You, a song choice that initially raised judges' eyebrows.
However, after her performance, the judges rose to their feet in applause. Lionel Richie expressed his admiration, while Carrie Underwood acknowledged that she had initial doubts but was impressed by Kaleo's execution. Luke Bryan noted that many 16-year-olds lack readiness, but Kaleo demonstrated her preparedness. The judges unanimously voted in her favor, sending her to the next round.
“It’s something a 16-year-old should definitely be proud of. Probably the best 16-year-old voice we’ve heard in this competition,” said Luke Bryan.
Landynn, from a small town in South Carolina, shared his personal story. Born in Louisiana, he was abandoned by his birth mother but was later adopted along with his three siblings. His adoptive mother was a singer, and music played a significant role in his life. Landynn performed Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me for the judges. The judges voted unanimously in Landynn's favor, sending him to the next round of American Idol.
Next on American Idol, Gabe James, Lexi Tieffel, and Ethan Senger received 3 yeses from the judges while Anna Aistova received 3 nos. The final contestants to receive the gold tickets were Trenton Wright, Olivier, Cal Buckley, Sarah Day, Will Carter, Yani, Clara Rae, Santina Madden, Malik Bilbrew, Kyana Fanene, and Samantha Ray.
In between the auditions of Gabe James and Lexi Tieffel, Perfect Match alum Kariselle Snow briefly appeared in a segment about silly nicknames as the contestants gave Carrie Underwood the nickname "Scary Underwear."
The show concluded with Canaan, a singer from Dallas, who came from a family of gospel singers. Canaan graduated from high school early and was preparing to become a preacher. Lionel Richie praised Canaan's performance, calling it "powerful and spectacular." The judges unanimously voted to award Canaan the third and final Platinum Ticket of the season.
The three Platinum Ticket holders on American Idol can skip the first round of competition in Hollywood.
