Never would have anyone seen such a finale! The American Idol finale was surely one of its kind. From the contestants performing from their homes to the result being announced remotely, the show's season finale was definitely one of its kind with the winner, Just Sam taking the title home.
The 20-year-old singer from Harlem had joined the competition to make her grandmother proud and she did exactly that by winning the show. Just Sam is the winner of the third ABC season of the popular show.
The others to make it to the top five apart from Just Sam were Dillion James, Jonny West, Arthur Gunn, and Francisco Martin. The five finalists also performed two songs for the finale episode. They started with a pre-recorded "celebration song" and then proceeded to sing one song live from each of their homes.
The episode also aired performances by Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Katy Perry and Cynthia Erivo. The final competition was between Just Sam and Arthur Gunn, but Just Sam took the cake and bagged the title and prize. In fact, she was video calling with her grandmom and nearly dropped her tablet on the floor when her name was announced.
The show ended with host Ryan Seacrest concluding, "We say goodbye to Francisco, Dillon and J.W. Guys, thank you so much for a great season, we're gonna miss you. Well done."
The winner may have come as a surprise for many, considering how Gunn was touted to be the winner. His journey from Kathmandu to America had caught the attention of many viewers including the judges. Luke Bryan had also once said to him, "Way to nail every aspect of 'Idol.' You have checked every 'American Idol' box that you need to check in my opinion. I mean, you're a star."
Guess destiny has its own way of playing things out!
