American Idol eliminated Shannon Magrane and revealed "The Judges' Save" will return for its eleventh-season finals during Thursday night's live results show broadcast on Fox, which determined the season's Top 10 finalists.

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Magrane, a 16-year-old from Tampa, FL, became the third finalist sent home from American Idol's eleventh season after she received the fewest home viewer votes following Wednesday night's performance show, which featured the Top 11 finalists performing songs from the year each contestant was born. 

"American Idol has definitely given me the opportunity to do what I love the most. American Idol has definitely been a learning experience for me... I thank you guys so much because you guys have been so loyal to me and so honest with me, you three [judges] especially, and I just want to say it feels so good standing on this stage. It just feels so good," Magrane said following her ouster.

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest announced the return of "The Judges' Save" -- which Idol judges Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson can use once during the finals to prevent the elimination of a finalist who receives the fewest home viewer votes during a weekly performance round -- at the beginning of the results show broadcast.

"Tonight we officially reveal your Top 10 and find out who goes on the Idol summer tour. That's barring the judges don't use their save. Remember, they can rescue one person from elimination one time during the season. This expires at the Top 5," Seacrest said of the save, which American Idol first introduced during its eighth season in 2008.

Magrane's elimination became official after Jackson announced the show's judges were not going to prevent her elimination by using "The Judges' Save." Whether the decision not to "save" Magrane was unanimous was not revealed.

"Unfortunately, we're not going to use it tonight, Shannon. Thank you," Jackson said.

Magrane -- who was one of the 10 finalists voted into the season's Top 13 finalists by home viewers -- had received positive feedback from the judges following her performance of Mariah Carey's "One Sweet Day" on Wednesday's performance show.

"That was not an easy undertaking. You're talking about Mariah Carey... That was not an easy undertaking, sweetie. I was honestly terrified for you, but you did a beautiful job with that. You really did. You deserve to do that little happy dance at the end! You did a great job with it. You did some beautiful little runs in it and I thought you did a great job. I really liked it, I did. Impressed," Lopez told Magrane.

"I think you sing your best when you don't try so hard and that was beautiful. You did a really good job with that, you did," Tyler said.

"Yo, Jennifer made me laugh because I was terrified too because I've worked with Mariah... [who] sang the I don't know what out of that song. It spent 18 weeks at number one -- one of the biggest songs of her career. I was like 'Oh my God! Don't take on that big monster!'" Jackson explained.

"But you know what, you're here because you have mad potential and we really like you now, and America's falling in love with you and you're fearless. That's what I love about you being your age. The front of the song was cool, but by the end, that run you sang, we looked at each other and the three of us were like, 'Yo, this girl's got something going on up here!' So considering the mountain you were trying to climb, good job!"

Prior to Magrane's elimination, Elise Testone, a 28-year-old from Charleston, SC, and Erika Van Pelt, a 26-year-old from South Kingstown, RI, were revealed to be the other members of this week's bottom three vote-getters.
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In addition to Testone and Van Pelt, fellow finalists Deandre Brackensick, Hollie Cavanagh, Colton Dixon, Heejun Han, Skylar Laine, Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips, and Jessica Sanchez also still remain in the running for American Idol's eleventh-season title.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.