‘American Idol’ 2023: Hannah Nicolaisen Says Subpar Top 26 Performance Was Due to Coronavirus
ABC’s American Idol 2023 top 26 performed over the course of two days in Hawaii. And fans can’t wait to see who makes it into the top 20. Hannah Nicolaisen made it to the top 26 and had her performance. She later revealed she had coronavirus (COVID-19) right before she hit the stage. Here’s what she revealed.
Hannah Nicolaisen posted about getting coronavirus before the ‘American Idol’ 2023 top 26 performances
The American Idol 2023 top 26 performances aired on April 16 and April 17, and fans got to see 13 performers hit the stage each night in Hawaii. The first round of performers had Allen Stone as their celebrity mentor, and the second night had Noah Cyrus. Hannah Nicolaisen performed on the second night and didn’t have her best performance. She later posted on Instagram about the reason behind her raspy voice while singing P!nk’s “Glitter in the Air.”
“Lionel mentioned I was a little sick; well the day before I was supposed to fly to Hawaii, I tested positive for COVID for the first time since the pandemic,” Hannah posted to Instagram on April 17, 2023. “I thought for sure my journey was over, but my symptoms did not affect my voice terribly. I was able to safely quarantine and fly out just two days before the performance.”
Hannah then noted that she only spent two and a half days in Hawaii but cherished every moment. “Thank you to the team of people who made sure I was safe, prepared, and taken care of,” she added.
The ‘American Idol’ top 20 will be announced on Sunday, April 23
Fans will find out if Hannah Nicolaisen made it from the American Idol 2023 top 26 into the top 20 by Sunday, April 23, 2023. According to Reddit, the top 20 are announced early on in the episode on April 23. Three performers from the previous Sunday group and three performers from the previous Monday group head home, making the top 20. The top 20 then perform during the three-hour episode.
By the end of the episode airing on Monday, April 24, 2023, viewers will see the top 12. The top 10 performers from the top 20 will be announced, and the judges will choose to save another two to round out the top 12.
Some fans on Reddit have their suspicions that Hannah might be in trouble due to her performance in Hawaii, but others think she’ll bounce back and make it through.
1 performer dropped out of the top 26
Performer Beckett Rex from the American Idol 2023 top 26 dropped out, so fans won’t see him continue into the top 20. According to Deadline, Beckett, who’s the son of famous English actor Malcolm McDowell, announced on social media that he chose to discontinue his time with the show.
“To all of you wondering, yes I was on American Idol and I made the top 26,” Beckett wrote. “I’m not going to say why I didn’t decide to continue in the competition but what I will say is that it was my choice. I am forever grateful to my American Idol family and I will always look back at the experience with the utmost gratitude and fondness.”
Sara Beth Liebe and Kaya Stewart also left the show unexpectedly. Hopefully, no further contestants drop out of the competition leading up to the top 20 and top 12.
American Idol Season 21 airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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