Singer Alyssa Raghu, 21, hopes the third time’s the charm for her on “American Idol.” But many fans are up in arms over the way Raghu, who had competed twice before on the show, managed to earn her third ticket to Hollywood on the episode that aired March 17, 2024.

Raghu made it to the Top 24 on season 16 of “American Idol,” and cracked the Top 10 during season 17. She attended the season 22 auditions to support her best friend, Julia Davo, tryout for the show for the first time.

But when Davo didn’t make it through to Hollywood, Raghu entered the room, hugged the celebrity judges — Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan — and then asked if she could show them how much she’d grown vocally since last appearing on the show. While Davo watched nervously on the sidelines, Raghu sang and then asked the judges for another trip to Hollywood Week.
As Richie and Bryan voted her through, fans immediately began flooding the social media accounts of “American Idol” and Raghu, stunned by her treatment of Davo and that the show would allow Raghu through in that manner. The backlash has been so swift that Raghu issued a statement after the show aired.