This weekend's elimination episode of American Idol was so shocking that Jennifer Lopez couldn't help but scream 'This is crazy!'?
The season's frontrunner, 16-year-old Jessica Sanchez, received the lowest number of votes and was forced to sing for her safety.?
Judges Lopez, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler were required to implement their one save of the season on the San Diego native.
Initially, Sanchez was asked to join fellow frontrunner Joshua Ledet and frequent bottom dweller Elise Testone on one side of the stage.?
Phillip Phillips, Colton Dixon and Hollie Cavanagh were asked to form a separate crew.?
Odd woman out Skylar Laine was immediately deemed safe, and then forced to decide who she thought the 'safe' group was.?
Given that the top two contestants – who are frequently assumed to make it to the final two – were the lowest this week had the judges fuming.?
Early on in the evening, Jackson lamented: 'Nobody's safe.' He was right.?
When the bottom three were announced, he snapped: 'I've never seen this happen. This is a ridiculous bottom three. [America] got it wrong tonight, so wrong.'?
Tyler sagely noted just looking at the group: 'We're going to use our card tonight.'?
After performances from former Idol contestants Jennifer Hudson (who performed her hit 'Think Like A Man' with Ne-Yo while showing off her Weight Watchers weight loss in a short black skirt, embellished top and pompadour hairdo/fishtail braid) and James Durbin, the situation got even worse.?
It was announced that the season's favourite frontrunner, Sanchez, was the contestant who faced elimination.?
All too frequently early favourites are sent home, as Pia Toscano was last season.?
It happened to Hudson as well, a Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe winner who was famously kicked off of Idol's third season in fourth place.?
The judges stormed the stage mid-song, which couldn't have been easy for Lopez in her tight, curve-revealing orange halter dress.?
They didn't even give Sanchez a chance to finish her song, Deborah Cox's club anthem 'Nobody's Supposed to be Here', before stopping her.?
He then urged America to vote much more wisely next week.?
The youngest singer in the competition told host Ryan Seacrest that she wasn't shocked to find herself saving elimination, though she killed? it last night singing Jazmine Sullivan's 'Stuttering.'?
“I ?don't expect anything. I just do what I do' she said. 'Whatever happens happens. I just want people to know I've been working hard my whole life.”
– Daily Mail