But in a twist, it’s announced that one of four eliminated contestants will be welcomed back next week for the first Top 25. By Adam Graham Ryan Seacrest with the top 24 of “American Idol” Photo: Fox “American Idol” revealed its final 10 semifinalists Thursday (February 23), rounding out the Top 24 that will compete for America’s votes during season 11’s live episodes, which begin next week. The remaining 10 contestants were chosen from the pool of 42 sent to Las Vegas to compete for the chance to perform on the live shows. The first 14 , including Heejun Han ( Heejun Han! ), were unveiled during Wednesday’s episode. Thursday’s show picked up with the cliffhanger from Wednesday, regarding the fate of 27-year-old Adam Brock. The teary-eyed Brock made it, of course; “American Idol” can be cruel (see last week’s brutal “Gotcha!” twist), but it’s not cruel enough to let a contestant hang in the balance for a full day and then not let him through. Especially one with a cute little girl at home. The toughest cut Thursday was the one dealt to Jermaine Jones, the 25-year-old baritone-voiced “gentle giant” who took the news very hard, nearly collapsing in tears. Most shocking was the elimination of David Leathers Jr., the would-be heartthrob nicknamed “Mr. Steal Your Girl” who was thought early on to be one of the contestants to beat, despite the fact that the bow-tied 17-year-old looked like he was 12. But in a shocking final twist — “GOTCHA!” — it was revealed at the end of the episode that either Leathers, Jones, Richie Law or Johnny Keyser will return next week to join the show, making it a Top 25. Isn’t “Idol” fun? Here is the full list of the season’s Top 24 contestants:
