Meet the Top 3 “American Idol” Season 24 Contestants

Christopher RudolphTue, May 5, 2026 at 3:50 PM UTC

0

'American Idol' season 24 top 5Credit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty -

The May 4 episode of American Idol was a "Class of 2006 Reunion," and a Dancing with the Stars crossover

Contestants from season 5 returned, as did original judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul

Two contestants were eliminated, with the final three moving on to next week's season finale

It was an all-star American Idol reunion!

On the May 4 episode of the singing competition show, season 24 of American Idol hosted a "Class of 2006 Reunion" to mark 20 years since season 5 aired. The series celebrated by welcoming back five contestants: Paris Bennett, Kellie Pickler, Elliott Yamin, Bucky Covington and winner Taylor Hicks.

In addition to former competitors, there were other familiar faces: Original judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul. Both of them served as mentors to this season's top five, and Abdul joined Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as a guest judge.

"I'm just so happy to be at my old home and to see some of my children that are now grown and have kids, and meeting the new hopefuls," Abdul said, per Entertainment Weekly. "I hope all of you have the best time ever and leave your heart out there."

The star-studded semifinals was not only a "Class of 2006 Reunion," but also a crossover, featuring the top five — Hannah Harper, Jordan McCullough, Keyla Richardson, Braden Rumfelt and Chris Tungseth — performing while Dancing with the Stars pros set the stage ablaze with their moves. The semifinalists also sang with season 5's returning stars.

Here are the contestants who made it through to the American Idol season 24 finale, and which two were eliminated.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the May 4 episode of American Idol!

01 of 05

Safe: Keyla Richardson

Keyla RichardsonCredit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty

Keyla Richardson treated the audience to a spirited version of "River Deep — Mountain High" by Tina Turner.

For her duet, she teamed up with Hicks to sing Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City."

02 of 05

Eliminated: Chris Tungseth

Chris TungsethCredit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty

Tungseth brought some "Northern Attitude," covering the folk-rock track by Noah Kahan.

Advertisement

He continued rockin' out for his next performance, covering Garth Brooks' "The Thunder Rolls" with Covington.

03 of 05

Eliminated: Braden Rumfelt

Braden RumfeltCredit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty

For his DWTS and American Idol crossover number, Rumfelt sang "Lose Control" by Teddy Swims.

When it was time for their duet, Rumfelt and Bennett dialed up the drama with Queen's "The Show Must Go On."

04 of 05

Safe: Hannah Harper

Hannah HarperCredit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty

For her first performance, Harper sang "Fever" by Peggy Lee, which Bryan thought was "incredible."

"I loved that it was not what we expected from you," he added, per EW. "Way to surprise us."

Harper and Pickler later sang "A Broken Wing" by Martina McBride. Notably, it was the same song Pickler chose to audition with for her original season.

05 of 05

Safe: Jordan McCullough

Jordan McCulloughCredit: Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty

McCullough brought the emotions with his cover of Leona Lewis' "Footprints in the Sand." After his performance, Abdul told McCullough, "I love you. Your gift, what you have."

"I don’t know where it comes from, but it’s not from here," she continued. "It’s otherworldly. It's not normal."

For the duet, McCullough teamed up with Yamin to perform "A Song for You" by Donny Hathaway.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”