Jacob’s Reality TV Check-8 Early Eliminations

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! These are my opinions!

 This past Wednesday on “America’s Got Talent,” the judges broke the hearts of many fans of Texas-based singer Daniel Joseph Baker after he was sent home in the judges’ pick.   After the show, I went onto Twitter and found that “DANIEL JOSEPH BAKER” was a trending topic.  It goes to show that if the judges eliminate a fan-favorite contestant, then there would be pissed off viewers.

This blog post is dedicated Baker and to the performers on “American Idol,” “America’s Got Talent,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance” who got the boot too soon!

#8-Ryan Kasprzak, So You Think You Can Dance Season 5, 2005

In 2009, the So You Think You Can Dance audience was introduced to Ryan and Evan Kasprzak.  They made a great impression on both the judges and the audience.  But by the end of Vegas Round, they were last two boys to be called in by the judges and they sent Evan to the Top 20 and sent Ryan home.  The elder Kasprzak was a terrific dancer and was better than Hip-Hopper Tony Bellissimo and kooky Contemporary dancer Kupono Aweau and it would have been a first on So You Think You Can Dance that two brothers would have competed side-by-side.

#7-Ralph Macchio & Karina Smirnoff, Dancing with the Stars Season 12, 2011

Last season, Ralph Macchio rocked the Dancing with the Stars stage with his professional partner, Karina Smirnoff.   During the semi-finals, Ralph Macchio suffered a leg injury, which cut their rehearsal time and almost forced him out of the combination.  But instead of checking out of the competition, the couple performed the Viennese Waltz and received a standing ovation from the audience.   But during the next night, he was eliminated from the competition.  Not letting Ralph and Karina reach their full potential and take on Hines and Kirstie in the finale is just not right at all.

#6-Alice Tan Ridley, America’s Got Talent Season 5, 2010

One of the strongest female singers that ever graced the America’s Got Talent stage came from the New York subway system.   Alice Tan Ridley delivered every single time she was on that stage and wowed the AGT audience with her interpretations of “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “I Have Nothing.”  But when it came down to the judges’ choices, Piers and Sharon choose the Studio One Young Beast Society over the 57-year-old Ms. Ridley.   Her early elimination from the competition remains a mistake to this day.

#5-Pia Toscano, American Idol Season 10, 2011

When you have a great voice on American Idol, you stand out from the bunch and are considered a front-runner for the title.  This past season, America was introduced to Make-Up Artist Pia Toscano, whose powerful renditions of “I’ll Stand By You” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” won rave reviews from the show’s judges.    However, after she sang “River Deep Mountain High,” Toscano was eliminated that Thursday.  This blunt brought the show to a standstill and made new judge Jennifer Lopez cry.   Instead of hearing Toscano’s beautiful voice glide into the finale, we were stuck with listening to screeching and out-of-tune contestants.

#4-Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Dancing with the Stars Season 11, 2010

Every week on her season of Dancing with the Stars, Brandy and Maks rocked the dance floor and continue to improve each week.  Surely, that meant a spot in their season’s finale but no…the powerhouses were eliminated in favor of Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas.   Now many viewers of the show (including your writer) felt that Bristol did not deserve her spot and Brandy was robbed…even pro Derek Hough’s jaw dropped when learning Brandy would not be dancing in the finale.   Brandy’s departure from the competition still remains one of Dancing’s shocking pre-finale elimination.

#3-Constantine Maroulis, American Idol Season 4, 2005

If you remember Season Four of Fox’s hit show, there were two phenomenal rockers: Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis.  Both rockers brought some much-needed rock into the ratings juggernaut and impressed not only the judges but also the viewers.   When both rockers made it to the Top 6, their fans thought that both of them would make it to the finale… but that would not be the case as Maroulis was eliminated from the show instead of Scott Savol.  Before we head to number two, I leave you with this question-Who has the better career? Savol or Tony-nominated Maroulis?

#2-Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas, Dancing with the Stars Season 5, 2007

Season 5 of Dancing with the Stars brought some of the most talented stars that ever graced the ABC Competitive Ballroom series’ stage.  One of the stars that stood out from the beginning was Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan and her professional partner, Mark Ballas, who made his Dancing debut this season.  They shook the ballroom and won fans with their Cha-Cha-Cha and their Paso Doble, which earned them their only perfect score in the competition.  Fans, judges and even host Tom Bergeron thought they would see Bryan and Ballas compete in the finals but that was not the case.  As soon as Bergeron read the couple’s name, the audience started to boo echoing many of the fans across America’s outrage…this early departure is one of the show’s most shocking eliminations.

#1-Jennifer Hudson, American Idol Season 3, 2004

The biggest and most shocking elimination ever in reality T.V. competition still remains Jennifer Hudson’s early departure from American Idol.   Week after week, Hudson’s golden pipes continued to blow viewers and judges away with her renditions of “Circle of Life,” which sent chills up on guest mentor Sir Elton John’s spine and “I Have Nothing,” which guest judge Quentin Tarantino proclaimed: “Hudson takes on Houston…and Wins!”   But Hudson’s winning streak came to a shocking close as she was eliminated on the Top 7 Results Show.   Despite losing the IDOL title, Hudson won an Oscar and a Grammy and just released her second studio album this year.

Despite not winning their respective shows title, all of these people have proven that they can bounce back and even take their careers higher than some of their fellow contestants.    But before I wrap up this entry, I have a feeling that the American public has not seen the last of Daniel Joseph Baker.