American Idol Interviews

Alexis Grace: 'It Just Wasn't My Night'
Simon Cowell compared her to Kelly Clarkson and Michael Slezak wrote she had ''one of the strongest and most distinctive voices in the competition,'' but Opry week proved to be her undoing; the day after the vote, the latest ''Idol'' castoff looks back

In the semifinals, Simon Cowell compared her to Kelly Clarkson. He called her a dark horse. One to watch. Alexis Grace seemed to be cruising toward a solid spot in the American Idol season 8 competition. But then the petite powerhouse vocalist performed Dolly Parton's ''Jolene.'' And just like that, she was sent packing. Here's what the single mom from Memphis had to say about her premature departure.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How are you feeling today?
ALEXIS GRACE: Um, I feel good right now because I'm doing a lot of fun stuff, interviews and stuff like that. But I am a little sad to say goodbye to everything, that the American Idol journey is over for me. But there's more to come.

I'd imagine you're getting support from the people you're talking to today. There's a lot of outrage that you were voted off so soon. What happened?
I don't know. I really appreciate everybody's support. I had no idea that people felt like that about me. I feel so grateful and blessed. I don't know what happened. I thought people connected with me on Tuesday night. The way the show's formatted this year, it happened so fast that you just have to be the bomb when you come out there, every time. So I think it just wasn't a bomb night for me.

Simon seemed to be a fan. He called you a dark horse and even compared you to Kelly Clarkson. Then you're the second person to go. Was that a shock?
I'm disappointed because, yeah, Simon said great things about me, and I wanted to show, ''Yeah, I can do that! Definitely!'' And then the second week I'm gone. I'm like, great. But I know that I won't let this stop me. So who knows what the future holds? But I feel like there are some good things to come. I'm just going to keep working at it.

Are you planning your next move?
Yeah. I'm gonna go home and start writing music, putting myself out there, and staying in contact with my fans and keeping them updated with what I'm doing. I want to start a small fan base and work my way up to the top.

I guess the upside is that you can be with your daughter now, right?
Yeah, totally. We're gonna spend time together. I'm gonna get back to singin' and performing. And I'm gonna try to get an album and a record deal. That would be great.

There's a lot of chatter from American Idol viewers who think it's unacceptable that you were voted off before Scott MacIntyre and Michael Sarver. Is that a comfort to you at all?
I think that Scott has got his thing going on, and Michael's got his thing going on. They're both different, like everybody else in the competition. I don't think it's really fair for people to say that. I mean, America voted for them, so obviously they did something right that night. They're singers and artists and they're gonna do well. You know, it just wasn't my night.

You're very gracious. I guess it's in your nature.
My mom blessed me with the name, so...[Laughs]

Read more of Alexis Grace's interview

Megan Joy: 'I'm Just a Big Dork'
On the day after she was voted off, the polarizing ''Idol'' chanteuse explains her cawing, her dancing, why she got up in the judges' faces Wednesday night...and the one show she REALLY wants to get a call from

The caw. The dance moves. The voice. Nobody was really surprised that Megan Joy got voted off American Idol last night. But while not many people will actually miss her singing, we'll all feel the freak void without her.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Megan, let's discuss the caw. What the...?
MEGAN JOY: I'm just a big dork. I've always made animal noises all the time. I cawed at the end of ''Rockin' Robin.'' I thought, ''If I go out, I'm gonna go out with a bang.''

Yeah, I remember that. You know robins don't caw, right?
No, they don't, but I didn't know what else I could do.

Judging from how your fellow contestants were laughing during this week's results show, it seemed like your cawing was a dare or something. Was it?
No, but all throughout the day yesterday I was like, ''Guys, I think I'm going home.'' They kept saying no, but I said, ''If I go, I'm gonna be a bird the entire night. I'm gonna be ridiculous.'' They said, ''No, you won't.'' And I was like, ''Yes, watch me.'' So they said they would caw for me. And they sure did.

The whole night it seemed like you knew you were going.
Yeah, I did. I kind of had a feeling.

It was harsh when Simon told you that the judges didn't care enough to consider keeping you in the competition.
Yeah, I was thinking, wow. Did what I say really upset them that much? It was so silly. It was like, really? You're that upset at me?

Did it make it hard to perform after being dissed like that?
No. If anything, I was not worried at all. If I had been singing for my life I would have been more nervous for the song. I totally messed up the song and it didn't matter. I just had fun.



More of the interview

An Interview of Allison Iraheta Courtesy of EW's Jessica Shaw

'It's Been Such a Great Ride'

To say that some of us at EW.com have gone into mourning over the elimination of the brilliant, perfect, incredible Allison Iraheta would be a bit of an understatement. Still, I managed to keep my tear duct floodgates closed long enough to ask Allison about yesterday's unfortunate American Idol results show.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Okay, Allison. I've had a hard night since you got voted off. How are you going to console me?
ALLISON IRAHETA: I have to console you? Okay. I'm good. I'm just so happy I've made it this far. It's been such a great ride.

Sorry, but you can't be that happy. I simply do not think you ever got the credit you deserved. Do you think you did?
I mean, I don't know. I honestly don't know. It was weird. Sometimes I would get criticized for what I would wear and I'd be like, Wait. What about the way I sang? But I guess this whole thing is about a package and they want to see you as a recording artist. It's all for the best, though.

I have to say, the second Ryan said that Kris was safe, I knew you were going home. Did you have a bad feeling last night?
I knew I was going even before that. I had a feeling. Something told me that that was it. First of all, I was in the bottom three more than anyone. So I just warmed up for the song before the show, which I did every time there was a results show. And it paid off.

Don't you feel bitter that you went home after such a great performance of ''Cry Baby'' and Danny Gokey got to stay after hitting a note that even he mocked?
Honestly, I don't know what to say. It's hard. Danny Gokey is an amazing singer. As well as Kris and Adam. It's a hard call. I'm bummed. More than being off the show, even, I miss them. Being away from them hurts the most. Being eliminated? I was going to get eliminated at one point or another.



ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Did you get a chance to talk to him and be consoled by him?
ALLISON IRAHETA: I didn't get to talk to him after I got cut because I had to go right to interviews. But I got to talk to him before and he's such a great guy. I looked up to him so much. He's such an amazing artist and it really is a consolation that he did so well.

Your duet with Adam this week was incredible. And when you got cut last night he seemed devastated for you. You must have gotten very close.
Yeah, we're really close. I feel like he's my older brother and I can go to him and tell him anything. Beyond music he's such a great person. All of them, Kris and Danny too. When we did ''Slow Ride'' it was so fun. We heard they were doing duets and we immediately decided the two of us had to do something. Adam came up with ''Slow Ride'' and I was like, ''Heck yeah, let's do it!''

It seemed like week after week, Simon would tell you how brilliant you were and then knock you down with some insult. What was up with that?
Yeah, as you saw, week after week he would tell me I was boring. Then this week, I was like, you want some personality, eh? I'm gonna tell you what I think and stand up for myself. The moment he said ''Start beggin''' was the moment I said, ''Oh no you didn't.'' I was just like, I don't need to beg. I'm here to sing.

Simon is so much nicer off camera. Did he say anything to you last night after the show?
Yeah, he actually said that he really appreciated that I stood up for myself. And I said, you know what? It was about time. He's such a great guy, though. And he knows his stuff.

So after all the interviews, what's next?
I hope I'll be working on my music.

Any chance you'll still make it to your high school prom?
I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it. It's gonna suck, but hopefully my friends will still hang out with me.

If they don't, you can always come here.
Maybe I will.