During Sunday’s episode of American Idol, Katy Perry proclaimed that no one gets a Golden Ticket just because of a sob tale. “There will be no pity votes!” she stressed.
This was a questionable assertion, given how frequently tears flowed on Idol; some recent candid auditions felt like therapy sessions, and soft-hearted judge Lionel Richie has already depleted his handkerchief budget for Season 21, with one week of auditions remaining.
When Sunday’s last contender, 22-year-old struggling single mom Fire Wilmore, arrived with her gorgeous toddler daughter Maja in tow, her hard-luck story didn’t convince the judges.
And that was the saddest story of all, despite the fact that, in true Idol form, it ended with a cliffhanging “to be continued” twist.
