The fifth season of Fox's American Idol finally began in earnest this week, with Tuesday and Wednesday's first performance shows culminating in last night's live results show that eliminated the four American Idol 5 semifinalists (two male, two female) who had received the fewest votes from home viewers.

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After watching Tuesday's American Idol 5 broadcast that featured the twelve female semifinalists performing, Idol viewers decided that the American Idol journey had ended for Becky O'Donohue and Stevie Scott.

O'Donohue, 25-year-old from Dobbs Ferry, NY who found herself at the center of a mini-media controversy after reports that she had previously modeled for Maxim magazine surfaced on Wednesday (after viewer voting for the women's Tuesday performance show had already closed), had entertained viewers with Patti Smith's "Because The Night." "I think you're going to be a very successful model," American Idol judge Simon Cowell snarked at O'Donohue after show host Ryan Seacrest announced her elimination.

Scott, a 19-year-old from Fair Oaks, CA, had chosen to sing Josh Grobin's "To Where You Are."

On the men's side, Bobby Bennett and Patrick Hall found themselves eliminated as a result of the viewer voting from Wednesday's broadcast of the twelve male semifinalists' performances. Bennett, a 19-year-old from Denver, CO, had sung Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" while Hall, a 27-year-old from Gravette, AR, had opted to sing Melissa Etheridge's "Come To My Window."

According to Seacrest, American Idol viewers cast nearly 40 million votes for last night's results show.

Next week, the ten remaining female semifinalists (Paris Bennett, Ayla Brown, Heather Cox, Brenna Gethers, Mandisa Hundley, Kinnik Sky, Melissa McGhee, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, and Lisa Tucker) will take the stage once again, singing during a special 90-minute American Idol broadcast on Tuesday, February 28 at 8PM ET/PT.

Then it's once again men's night, with the ten remaining male semifinalists (Kevin Covais, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, Will Makar, Gedeon McKinney, Jose "Sway" Penala, David Radford, Elliott Yamin, and Ace Young) taking to the stage in another special 90-minute American Idol broadcast on Wednesday, March 1 at 8PM ET/PT.

After that, another two men and two women will be eliminated on the American Idol 5 live results show airing Thursday, March 2 at 8PM ET/PT.