In the first-ever Ohana round on “American Idol,” which aired on March 9, 2026, judges Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, and Lionel Richie weren’t the only ones trimming the competition from 30 to the Top 20 contestants.
After three groups — family members, peers, and industry experts — chose the three Platinum Ticket recipients, the judges had to choose the other 17 who would advance. That meant another 10 didn’t make it through, and some of the eliminations were a big surprise.
Sheldon Riley Went Home Despite Meaningful Speech
DisneySheldon Riley is no stranger to reality competitions, but he’s become known worldwide as a singer who wears elaborate costumes and a mask. He has used “American Idol” to break out of that mold, step out from behind his mask, and bravely try to deliver more authentic performances.
Before the 26-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, sang his selection, he looked out at the crowd full of other contestants’ family members and said it was a beautiful thing to see, but that he didn’t have any family present for him.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have family with me here today,” he said, getting choked up. “I actually haven’t had family with me in a long time on this music journey of mine. Sorry, sorry. Sometimes in life, when you are not handed the right cards and not put in the right family with the right people, you have to build your own family and your own home. And that’s me. I’m really grateful to be here. Thank you for having me, and thank you for being my little family here with me.”
Riley then sang “To Build a Home” by The Cinematic Orchestra featuring Patrick Watson. But after a couple of lines, he began to cry. He did manage to sing several more lines that were beautiful and had the industry experts in tears, but he crumpled again.
Underwood told him, “You have so much talent and range and power and range in your vocals. I feel like your brain just gets in the way. I feel like you’re building up some walls in front of us, every time you sing. But you don’t need to do that, because you’re enough.”
Chloe Lauren Also Got Emotional During Her ‘American Idol’ Performance & Was Sent Home
Twenty-five-year-old stay-at-home mom Chloe Lauren stepped into a whole new world when she auditioned for season 24, and judges Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie fell in love with her during her audition. Overcome with emotion, she tearfully told them, “I’m so lucky. I didn’t think I’d ever get to be somewhere like this.”
She sometimes got emotional offstage during Hollywood Week, prompting her share in her Instagram Stories on February 24, “I’ve seen some comments online calling me ‘too emotional,’ and I want to be clear — being emotional means I’m invested, present, and passionate.”
At the end of Hollywood Week, the singer from Warrenville, South Carolina, managed to win a sing-off against Mary Jo Young. But during the Ohana round, as she performed Adele’s “Hello,” she ran into trouble with the band and sounded a bit shaky. Bryan whispered that she needed to learn to control her emotions better, but Underwood told her in the end, “Way to finish strong.” Nevertheless, Lauren was sent packing.
Fans of Bryant Thomas ‘Shocked’ by His Elimination
Many fans of Bryant Thomas were shocked by his elimination after a powerful segment aired before his performance of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide.” The singer, who got engaged during his “American Idol” audition, shared that he’d recently moved from Mobile, Alabama, to South Florida and felt disconnected from his friends and family.
Wearing his signature Crocs, Thomas got a bit emotional while he sang, but he received a standing ovation from all three judges. However, Bryan told him, “Before you sang, talking to your family and telling them how much you love ’em is emotional. We still gotta remember ‘I got a song to deliver and I gotta make sure I’m knocking this thing out start to finish. Now, you’re one of my favorite voices, but it got a little screamy, a little bit.”
When it was evident he did not move ahead to the next round, many fans flooded his social media page to complain, including one who wrote, “Im so shocked he didnt make it to the top 20! PLEASE dont stop singing brother! You got such an amazing talent!”
Here are the other seven contestants who didn’t make it through to the next round: Bella Emry, 22, of Bend, Oregon; Tianna Roberts, 27, of Sumter, South Carolina; Brianna Yancey, of Alpharetta, Georgia; Kiera Howell, 16, of Geneva, Alabama; Jacquie Lee, 28, of Colts Neck, New Jersey; Brenna Brigman, 18, of Arlington, Texas; and Michael Garner, 16, of Forrest City, Arkansas.
Voting will begin with the first of two episodes featuring the Top 20, set to air on March 16 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
