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Popular reality competition series American Idol season 21 aired a brand new episode on Monday, April 3, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC. It documented the contestants participating in the second part of the Hollywood Week round. Two singers paired up with each other to perform in front of the judges in hopes of impressing them and moving forward in the competition.
On this week's episode of American Idol, Fire and Kaya Stewart were to perform together in the duet round. However, the latter fell sick and as a result, couldn't perform in the competition and exited the show. Fire was left alone and broke down, but with the help of fellow contestant Jayna Elise, she pulled through the performance.
Fans were emotional as they showered support for Fire. One tweeted:
The hit ABC series has been extremely popular amongst the audience. Season 21 of the competition saw the contestants perform in front of the iconic judges - pop princess Katy Perry, country superstar Luke Bryan and Oscar-winning singer/songwriter Lionel Richie. While some managed to impress them and moved forward, others failed to make their mark and had to unfortunately head home.
Fire pulls through an emotional duet after Kaya's exit on American Idol
Tonight's episode of American Idol saw the contestants getting ready for a brand new day of duet challenges. Throughout the episode, the judges witnessed many talented singers compliement each other well and deliver incredible performances. But nothing had them ready for the drama to come.
Ahead of all the performances, the American Idol judges asked the contestants to choose their duet partners themselves. Kaya and Fire chose each other to perform and were very happy with their decision. The former even noted that they were together "for a reason."
The duo soon began to practice their song. They were going to perform What Do You Want From Me by Adam Lambert. The contestants were confident in their voices and in their ability to pull it off together. But overnight, things shifted.
On the day of the duet, Kaya revealed that she fell sick. While she was alright in the morning, her health took a turn for the worse throughout the day. She had severe fever and kept forgetting the words of the song.
The American Idol contestant felt that if she performed, it wouldn't be a fair representation of herself, and it would also spoil Fire's performance.
As Fire and Kaya headed to the stage, the latter revealed that she wouldn't be performing in the competition as she fell sick. After she exited the stage, Fire broke down as she didn't have a partner but had given it her all to prepare for the duet. However, fellow contestant Jayne Elise stepped up to help her.
Before the performance, American Idol judge Lionel Richie encouraged her and Katy Perry said:
"Listen Fire, you're not gonna be abandoned anymore."
What followed was an extremely heart-wrenching performance from Fire as she kept breaking down but pulled it through. Katy Perry was extremely emotional and began crying during and after the performance. The judge said:
"Proud of you. You're growing, little by little. You can't control a lot. But you can control yourself. And you can control your future. Thank you for standing up here and continuing to try. Thank you for swinging, thank you for not forfeiting. Thank you for fighting."
Katy then proceeded to tell the American Idol contestant that she was moving forward.
Fans express their support for Fire on American Idol
Fans took to social media to applaud Fire's strength and determination before offering their love and support. Check it out.
Fans continued to encourage Fire throughout her performance. Check it out.
Season 21 of American Idol has seen the contestants showcase some incredible talent. In the upcoming weeks, the judges will continue to select the best of the best who will make the Top 24 of the competition. Viewers will have to stay tuned to see who makes it forward.
Don't forget to tune in to a brand new episode next Sunday, April 9 and Monday, April 10, 2023, at 8 pm ET on ABC.
