American Idol finalist Michael Lynche has been "saved."

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Although he received the fewest home viewer votes following Tuesday night's performance show, Lynche was allowed to remain in American Idol's ninth-season competition when the show's judges unanimously decided to use their one-time "The Judges' Save" ability to prevent his ouster during last night's live results show broadcast on Fox.

"There you have it!  Michael Lynche stays in the competition and competes again another week!  The judges invoked the one save of the season," Idol host Ryan Seacrest exclaimed after judge Simon Cowell revealed the judges had decided to use the twist to prevent the elimination of Lynche, a 26-year-old from Astoria, NY.

Prior to Lynche's save by the judges, Seacrest had revealed that Aaron Kelly, a 16-year-old from Sonestown, PA, and Andrew Garcia, a 23-year-old from Moreno Valley, CA, were the other members of the week's bottom three vote-getters.

Seacrest then announced Kelly was safe, leaving only Lynche and Garcia facing elimination.

Lynche had sung "Eleanor Rigby" during Tuesday night's performance show which had featured the competition's nine remaining finalists singing The Beatles songs from the Lennon-McCartney songbook.

American Idol judges Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi had all praised the performance afterwards.

"I love Big Mike that you're feeling yourself.  That could really be a joy on the radio on your album... I love seeing the artist in you blossom, I love that dude, I love it," Jackson said.

"You can do anything.  I mean every song you take on... you handle every one equally as well.  I thought that was a huge risk to take on a song like that and to change it that dramatically.  And there may be some people who don't like it, but I thought that was incredible.  I loved it," DeGeneres added.

"Mike, I thought that was fire.  Those vocals were amazing and what you did, how you changed it up and the drama.  I mean it was like building and building and building and you sold the story... at the end of this show you have to make a record, and when you're up there performing we want it to sound like that.  Great job!" DioGuardi said.

However Cowell had disagreed with his fellow judges.

"I didn't like it as much as the other three Michael, and I'll tell you why.  Because -- and I'm not a huge fan of musicals -- but this was the sort of thing you see and hear in musicals... so I'm actually going to disagree with Kara, I don't think it made you contemporary at all," he said.

"I thought it was just too over the top and I'm slightly confused now as to what kind of artist you want to be at the end of this competition."

Lynche had confidently dismissed Cowell's criticism before learning he was in bottom three on Wednesday night's results show.

"It's a show, we're here to put on a show and you know, if you want the studio or radio version check me out on iTunes,"  he told Seacrest when asked whether he felt the performance may have been too theatrical after getting a chance to review it himself.

Lynche sang Kate Bush's "This Woman's Work" when he was given the chance to "sing for his life" after Seacrest revealed he was the week's low vote-getter.

Afterward, Cowell praised the performance but also took the opportunity to suggest that Lynche shouldn't have been so dismissive of his previous criticism, as the voting results seemed to indicate he had been right.

"The frustrating thing is Michael, is that we all wish you did something like that yesterday.  And this is why you're in the position you're in right now, because of what happened yesterday," he said.

Cowell then proceeded to tease Lynche a little longer before finally revealing the judges had decided to save him.

"We only have one save in the competition.  This is unanimous Michael, if it's any comfort. We have decided we're going to see you next week," he announced.

Afterward, Seacrest noted that the use of "The Judges' Save" means that two of American Idol's remaining ninth-season finalists -- Lynche, Garcia, Kelly, Crystal Bowersox, Lee Dewyze,  Casey James, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens, and Timothy "Tim" Urban -- will now be eliminated on next week's results show.

"That means we lose two [finalists] next week," he said.
About The Author: Steven Rogers

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