Editorial

‘American Idol’ Goes Virtual In ‘Historic’ Move During Coronavirus Quarantine

(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

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“American Idol” went virtual Sunday night after the coronavirus halted production.

The rest of the show, which was set to be aired live, will be filmed from the contestants’ homes, according to a report published by Entertainment Tonight. Judge Katy Perry called the move “historic.”

“This is a very historic ‘American Idol‘ tonight,” Perry said.

Filming the show from home involved roughly 25 households. Each contestant filmed their performance at home and then the show put it all together.

“We didn’t want to cancel the show, and we’re really serious about these kids’ dreams,” Perry said. “And we knew we were not far off from picking a winner. So all the producers and creatives and logistical people behind the scenes put together an incredible idea, to film the show from our homes.”

To keep the playing field equal for the contestants, producers sent the same kit of equipment to everyone. (RELATED: Katy Perry Collapses During ‘American Idol’ Auditions Due To Propane Leak)

“Everybody got the same kit, because fairness is very important for everyone. So they got the same mic, they got the same iPhones, a ring light,” Perry explained. “And they’re doing it from their living rooms, and they’re doing it from their kitchens and they’re doing it from their backyards… Basically everybody had to do their own set-up.”

I watched last night and it is kind of a cool set up. I’ve been wondering how “American Idol” was going to keep the show going since we inevitably made it to the portion that is filmed live with households voting on their favorite performers.

It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the show plays out and if the person who wins even has a shot at starting a career in the industry during these times right now.