Who Was the First of the Top 12 to Leave on American Idol Season 6?

Well, all you Fanjayas out there can rejoice once again, as Sanjaya has survived another results show. The good news for everyone else watching American Idol is, he was in the bottom three. So, there is a good chance that he may only make it another week or two before his luck runs out.

The bottom three was Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar and Brandon Rogers. Brandon was the one who got the old heave-ho and was ejected from the competition. Brandon was my pick for worst performance from the night before and the one who should go home. I had Haley Scarnato in my bottom three instead of Phil.

The question to ask now is where will Brandon’s votes most likely flow? Which of the other 11 singers will pick up the votes of the people that were voting for him. Most, if not all, will continue to vote each week. This is an interesting topic for discussion, as someone gets knocked off each week, who is most likely to benefit?

Who do you think has the best chance of winning this whole thing? Will it be LaKisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Jordin Sparks or someone else? Given the performances up until now, who was in the bottom three and how the crowd reacted when Ryan called each of their names last night, here’s how TVaholic sees the 11 remaining on Season 6’s chance of making it until the end.

American Idol Season 6 – Top 11 Rankings:

1. Melinda Doolittle – She got the biggest crowd reaction and has been one of the top performers so far. People seem to be connecting with her. The girl can really sing and I think her reaction to the crowd’s appreciation is quite genuine.
2. LaKisha Jones – If everything went as planned, LaKisha and Melinda should be the final two, but we all know how plans can change. She also can really sing.
3. Jordin Sparks – In the judges’ opinions she has jumped into third place with the above two as the three who should go far in the competition. Once Sanjaya finally gets shown the door, I think this is where many of his votes will flow.
4. Blake Lewis – He also got quite a big crowd reaction last night. He has the musical ability to adapt the material or himself into theme of the week aspect of this show.
5. Chris Richardson – Not sure why, but he got quite the reaction last night as well. He just seems like more sizzle than steak, to me. He looks like he could stick around a while.
6. Gina Glocksen – The rocker chick brings a little something different to the competition. She got a pretty good reaction from the crowd. If she can choose the right songs for her each week, she too can last deep into the competition.
7. Chris Sligh – He is one of my favorites in this competition. Personally, I think he should rank higher than this, but given the other factors besides vocals, he falls to here. He needs to choose a song that makes him look like he is having fun up there, something to fit his humorous personality.
8. Stephanie Edwards – Almost has the singing chops to sing with LaKisha and Melinda, but doesn’t quite bring it each week. Also, doesn’t seem to be getting as much love from the fans as the others.
9. Haley Scarnato – She is Katharine McPhee without as good a voice. Very pretty, but in the long run that won’t get it done in a singing competition. But, as we have seen, it can keep you around a lot longer than it should.
10. Phil Stacey – He was in the bottom three after what I thought was his best performance in so far. I don’t think he can do much better than he did last night, so it doesn’t look good for him. Also, with that baldhead of his, (I am speaking as an owner of one myself) he should really stick with the hats when he goes out on stage.
11. Sanjaya Malakar – He sounded so promising in that initial audition. They even told him he had more personality while singing than his sister, who also made it to Hollywood before being cut. Where did it go? What happened? When will the need for bravery end? Hopefully it will be soon, as the song whisperer needs to come back home to Seattle and work on his projection.

Next week we get another two-hour show, as the 11 remaining American Idol Season 6 contestants take the stage once again?