Fire’s Out On ‘American Idol’—And She’s Not The Only One Sent Packing In Showstoppers Round

The competition is fierce on American Idol this week as the “Showstoppers: Final Judgment” episodes get underway.

It’s the part of the talent show that sees the remaining Hollywood hopefuls whittled down to the season’s Top 24 competitors, meaning more than a few familiar faces will leave—including some early fan favorites.

In fact, the first installment of the two-part round, which aired Sunday night, had viewers saying goodbye to an underdog performer they’ve cheered on since the audition rounds.

Fire, the 23-year-old single mom who had to fight her way through each step of the competition, learned that judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan came to the decision to send singer home after a rocky and pitchy performance of Duffy’s 2008 single, “Mercy.”

But their decision aired only after Fire shared why she’s so grateful for her American Idol experience.

“I’ve been told since I was a kid that my dream was too crazy or I wasn’t good enough,” she said. “That’s why words can’t even describe the way I feel about Katy Perry just being on my side.”

It was Perry who urged Fire, who’d been in and out of foster care most of her life, not to give up after her New Orleans audition failed to impress the panel. And it was Perry who voted last at Fire’s second audition, in Nashville, making it a unanimous call to send her on to Hollywood.

And just last week, when Fire’s duet partner, Kaya Stewart, abandoned her and quit the competition, it was Perry who broke down in tears and told Fire she was proud of her for carrying on in an emotional performance with a last-minute replacement.

But it was also Perry who dashed Fire’s dreams on Sunday’s show.

“Fire, it’s the end of the American Idol journey, but I think that truthfully, your fire is never going out ever again,” the hit maker said. “And we’re so proud of you. You have done great and grown so much. We hope that you’ll take that home and you’ll just build on that.”

Fire remained quiet and held it together as judges hugged her goodbye. But once she was outside, she let it all out.

“I’m not OK with going home,” she said through tears. “I just feel like I needed this more than a lot of people did, but that doesn’t matter.”

Of course, she wasn’t the only one to deal with disappointment by the time the first round of Showstoppers ended. Also out of the running are 22-year-old teacher Adin Boyer and 15-year-old student Kaylin Hedges.