8 Things You Missed on "American Idol" Last Night

Photo credit: ABC
Photo credit: ABC

From Good Housekeeping

Though this season of American Idol wasn't always well-received by viewers, the two-night finale definitely delivered some heartwarming, cute, touching moments - as well as some surprising performances and crazy announcements.

Here are some of the biggest and most surprising moments from the Season 16 finale of American Idol.

Maddie Poppe and Caleb Hutchinson are dating.

The top two contestants announced that they were officially a couple on last night's episode, to the delight of ... well, everyone. Katy Perry literally started spinning around in her chair out of excitement.

After they oh-so-casually mentioned their news, they performed a super sweet mashup of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World." Following their performance, host Ryan Seacrest asked if they had ever been to Hawaii. They said no.

“Never? Well, that’s about to change,” Seacrest announced. “Because we’re sending you, our official top two, on a vacation to Hawaii. The Aulani resort, a one-of-a-kind Disney experience in Hawaii. Congratulations!”

So exciting!

...But some people thought the show must have been rigged.

Some people started to wonder if the show had been set up so that Caleb and Maddie would advance to the final round, in order to create a sweet TV moment.

Hmmmm....

Katy Perry basically confirmed that she and Orlando Bloom are back together.

Becca Kufrin, who will star on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette, stopped in for a visit to American Idol, and it's safe to say Katy Perry was excited.

She got down on one knee and asked, "Can I be in the running?" But she followed it up by saying, "I'm not single but I still like you!"

Though she didn't name names, it's pretty easy to assume she's talking about on-again boyfriend Orlando Bloom. According to People, the pair has been spotted together on many occasions, including on a romantic trip to Rome.

Jimmy Kimmel had a time capsule with a surprising discovery.

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel also stopped by the set for a little trip down memory lane. With him, he brought a time capsule that had some remnants from past seasons of American Idol.

He poked fun at Simon Cowell's black shirts, Ryan Seacrest's frosted tips from season 1, and Steven Tyler's, um, eccentric outfits.

But it was the last item that got fans really excited: Sanjaya Malakar from season 6 of American Idol.

Ada Vox and Patti LaBelle performed "Lady Marmalade."


Has there ever been a more fabulous duo than former contestant Ada Vox with the legendary Patti LaBelle? We think not. And it seems like a lot of fans agreed:

LeAnn Rimes surprised Layla Spring (and her adorable little sister Dyxie).

The sisters were singing Rimes' hit "Blue" when the singer herself walked out to join them, and we seriously can't handle how adorable the moment was. Layla can barely contain her excitement, while Dyxie's eyes got huge when the singer kneeled next to her.

Maddie Poppe sang "Rainbow Connection" with Kermit the Frog.

In the first part of the finale episode, Maddie Poppe performed with an unexpected duet partner: Kermit the Frog.

And fans loved it!

There was an alpaca.

Earlier in the season, contestant Noah Davis had said that if he won American Idol, he would get an alpaca. Although he didn't make it through the season, Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest teamed up to fulfill his wish.

They named the alpaca "Yanny or Laurel" as a reference to the viral meme.

So, I guess if you want an alpaca, all you have to do is mention it to Lionel Richie?

Maddie Poppe won.

Which means her boyfriend(!) Caleb was declared the runner up. She gave an emotional performance of her coronation song, "Going, Going, Gone," joined by several of the other contestants, as is Idol tradition.

It's been a crazy season. While you wait for Season 17 (which ABC has confirmed will be happening), you can catch up on what you missed at abc.go.com.

You Might Also Like