Trish Kinane recounted the nasty process bad American Idol contestants used to go through, which probably looked similar to the process really good contestants also went through.
Kinane informed press at the TCA winter press tour (via THR) that American Idol had strayed away from the cruel practice in the show’s later seasons prior to its cancellation, and that the practice would not return in the reboot.
With that in mind, it’s always possible a few of the obscenely bad singing contestants who appeared on the numerous seasons of American Idol were under the impression they had a decent shot at being selected to advance just prior to having their hearts ripped out by judges, all in the name of television entertainment.