History EliminationHoudini / AmericanIdol

** Brenna Gethers managed to be in the Top 12 girls only because the judges liked her confrontational, catty personality and her one-time JerkassHasAPoint moment.

** Arguably, David Archuleta, the runner-up for that season, was one.

Every season of ''Series/AmericanIdol'' has had at least one EliminationHoudini, usually endorsed by the now-defunct [=VoteForTheWorst.com=]:
* Season 1 had Nikki [=McKibbin=]
* Season 2 had Carmen Rasmusen and Josh Gracin (mostly because for the one time he escaped the bottom two while Ruben Studdard didn't)
** Gracin has had quite a bit of success in country music, despite Simon pretty much saying that he wouldn't amount to anything.
* Season 3 had John Stevens and Jasmine Trias. The latter, in fairness, started out strong but couldn't deal with the pressure of the late stages of the competition (where contestants perform multiple songs in an episode) and was carried by early momentum past the point that she should have left (incidentally, right around the time that Stevens ''did'' leave.)
** As well as runner-up Diana [=DeGarmo=], who by the end of the show was good enough to deserve the runner-up spot but probably never should've survived long enough to get there.

* Season 5 had Kellie Pickler (who, ironically, has had a lot of success in country music)

* Season 6 had Sanjaya Malakar, who almost became the Trope Namer. Vote For The Worst played a huge part in this.

* Season 7 had Jason Castro and Kristy Lee Cook. Though like Trias in Season 3, Castro started off strong and tailed off.

* Season 8 had Nick/Norman and Tatiana going into the final 36
** Though Tatiana was inexplicably brought back as a Wild Card choice to compete for one of the final spots, fortunately neither she nor Nick/Norman made it into the top 13.

* Season 9 had Tim Urban, Haeley Vaughn, Paige Miles and Todrick Hall.
** Tim Urban's powers of elimination avoidance also earned him the FanNickname "Teflon Tim." Coincidentally, Urban came in 7th place, which was where Sanjaya also finished.

* Season 10's Stefano Langone. Doesn't help he was the last person to be declared safe when Pia Toscano was eliminated.
** Somewhat Zig-Zagged with Casey Abrams who was inconsistent throughout the live shows. It didn't help that many were outraged the Judges one-time save was wasted on him instead of, say, Pia Toscano.

*** Haley Reinhart, at least until about the Top 7. Things changed, and she would eventually become TheWoobie. The reversal was so dramatic (pretty much unprecedented in "Idol" history) that her third-place finish was considered a ShockingElimination in some quarters.

*** Clint Jun Gamboa took ''a lot'' of heat from viewers after kicking out Jacee Badeaux from his group during Hollywood Week and yet still managed to get in Top 12 guys. Whether or not it was well deserved, he was among the first to be eliminated in the live shows.
* Season 11 had [=DeAndre=] Brackensick and Heejun Han, both [=VoteForTheWorst=]-endorsed.

** There's also Philip Phillips, who managed to be safe from elimination, make the finale and win the whole thing despite the judges and mentor consistently giving him mediocre feedback. He was also [=VoteForTheWorst=]-endorsed.
* Season 12 had Lazaro Arbos who is a shining example of how an "inspiring" backstory can get you much farther than you should.
* Season 13 featured Dexter Roberts, for being mediocre nearly every week, and CJ Harris who could be good but was ''very'' poor the rest of the time.

* Season 14's Daniel Seavey has been considered as possibly the biggest elimination houdini in the history of the show - even giving Sanjaya a run for his money. Ironically, he's since become the most successful member of the season as a member of the boy band Why Don't We.
** Rayvon Owen from season 14 isn't a bad singer, but has managed to get in the bottom two ''four weeks in a row'', and then get saved every single time by the new "fan save", a feature where people can vote to save their favorite of the bottom two in real time provided they are living on the east coast (or voting hours before the show) and have a Twitter account. He then scraped by in the bottom two the next week when the fan save portion was over, before finally placing in fourth. Some conspiracy theorists suggest that this "Twitter Save" was introduced to try to counteract the historic disadvantage that African-Americans are at on the show, as Twitter is used by African-Americans at a disproportionate rate to their overall representation in the American population, but it should be noted that two of the four contestants that he won these saves over were also African-American.
* Season 15 had Gianna Isabella (who only got as far as she did due to {{nepotism}} -- her mother, Brenda K. Starr, is friends with judge Music/JenniferLopez) as well as the undercooked Lee Jean and [=Tristan McIntosh=]. Jeneve Rose Mitchell was also considered one going into the Top 24, but ultimately didn't get enough votes to make the Top 10.
* Season 17 had Wade Cota, who lasted all the way to 4th place. Arguably also runner-up Alejandro Aranda, though he both started and ended strong.

** Twins Derrell and Terrell Brittenum were both becoming increasingly [[LargeHam hammy]] and [[TookALevelInJerkass full of themselves]] as they advanced through {{UsefulNotes/Hollywood}} Week. However, [[http://www.mtv.com/news/1521161/american-idol-twins-are-in-double-trouble-with-the-law/ a major run-in with Johnny Law]] completely nixed each of their shots in the Top 12 Guys.

* Season 7 had Jason Castro and Kristy Lee Cook.

* Season 15 had Gianna Isabella (who only got as far as she did due to {{nepotism}} -- her mother, Brenda K. Starr, is friends with judge Music/JenniferLopez) as well as the undercooked Lee Jean and [=Tristan McIntosh=]. Jeneve Rose Mitchell was also considered one going into the Top 24, but ultimately didn't get enough votes to make the Top 10.

** Tiffany Rios, during Round 1 of Hollywood Week, made a tasteless remark on contestants' singing ability on stage and she ''still'' advanced to Group Round. However, thanks to her mouth [[LaserGuidedKarma no one wanted to group with her]]. She managed to team up with one girl from another group, but the duo gave a horrendous performance and both were sent home right then and there.

*** Megan Zieger, a very conceited contestant from the Boston auditions, managed to only make it to Group Round out of the judges pity over her getting laryngitis during Round 1.

** Brenna Gethers managed to be in the Top 12 girls only because the judges liked her confrontational, catty personality.

** Tiffany Rios, during Round 1 of Hollywood Week, made a tasteless remark on how she was pretty much a better singer than everyone and she ''still'' advanced to Group Round. However, thanks to her mouth [[LaserGuidedKarma no one wanted to group with her]]. She managed to team up with one girl from another group, but the duo gave a horrendous performance and both were booted right then and there.

** The Brittenum Twins who, during {{UsefulNotes/Hollywood}} Week, were both becoming increasingly [[LargeHam hammy]] and [[TookALevelInJerkass full of themselves]] as they advanced through Hollywood Week. However, [[http://www.mtv.com/news/1521161/american-idol-twins-are-in-double-trouble-with-the-law/ a major run-in with Johnny Law]] completely nixed their shots at the Top 24.

** Tiffany Rios, who during Round 1 of Hollywood Week made a tasteless remark pretty much on how she was a better singer than everyone and ''still'' advanced to Group Round. However, thanks to her mouth [[LaserGuidedKarma no one wanted to group with her]]. She managed to team up with one girl from another group, but the duo gave a horrendous performance and were booted right then and there.

** The Brittenum Twins who, during {{UsefulNotes/Hollywood}} Week, were both becoming increasingly [[LargeHam hammy]] and [[TookALevelInJerkass full of themselves]] as they advanced each round of Hollywood Week. However, [[http://www.mtv.com/news/1521161/american-idol-twins-are-in-double-trouble-with-the-law/ a major run-in with Johnny Law]] completely nixed their shots at the Top 24.

** The Brittenum Twins who, during {{UsefulNotes/Hollywood}} Week, were becoming increasingly [[LargeHam hammy]] and [[TookALevelInJerkass full of themselves]]. They would've most likely become this had either of them advanced. However, [[http://www.mtv.com/news/1521161/american-idol-twins-are-in-double-trouble-with-the-law/ a major run-in with Johnny Law]] completely nixed their shot at the Top 24.

** Subverted with the Brittenum Twins who, during {{UsefulNotes/Hollywood}} Week, were becoming increasingly [[LargeHam hammy]] and [[TookALevelInJerkass full of themselves]]. They would've most likely become this had either of them advanced. However, [[http://www.mtv.com/news/1521161/american-idol-twins-are-in-double-trouble-with-the-law/ a major run-in with Johnny Law]] completely nixed their shot at the Top 24.

** Subverted with Tiffany Rios, who during Round 1 of Hollywood Week made a tasteless remark on how she was a better singer than everyone and ''still'' advanced to Group Round. However, thanks to her mouth [[LaserGuidedKarma no one wanted to group with her]]. She managed to team up with one girl from another group, but the duo gave a horrendous performance and were booted right then and there.

** And anyone with a {{Hatedom}}, so says the {{Hatedom}}. Music/AdamLambert got this a lot.

* Season 3 had John Stevens and Jasmine Trias.

** Haley Scarnato survived multiple rounds seemingly on the strength of {{Fanservice}}.

* Season 14's Daniel Seavey has been considered as possibly the biggest elimination houdini in the history of the show - even giving Sanjaya a run for his money.
** Rayvon Owen from season 14 isn't a bad singer, but has managed to get in the bottom two ''four weeks in a row'', and then get saved every single time by the new "fan save", a feature where people can vote to save their favorite of the bottom two in real time provided they are living on the east coast (or voting hours before the show) and have a Twitter account. He then scraped by in the bottom two the next week when the fan save portion was over, before finally placing in fourth.

* Season 13 featured Dexter Roberts, for being mediocre nearly every week, and CJ Harris who could be be good but was ''very'' poor the rest of the time.

* Season 15 had Gianna Isabella (who only got as far as she did due to {{nepotism}} -- her mother, Brenda K. Starr, is friends with judge JenniferLopez) as well as the undercooked Lee Jean and [=Tristan McIntosh=]. Jeneve Rose Mitchell was also considered one going into the Top 24, but ultimately didn't get enough votes to make the Top 10.

** And anyone with a {{Hatedom}}, so says the {{Hatedom}}. AdamLambert got this a lot.

** Rayvon Owens from season 14 isn't a bad singer, but has managed to get in the bottom two ''four weeks in a row'', and then get saved every single time by the new "fan save", a feature where people can vote to save their favorite of the bottom two in real time provided they are living on the east coast (or voting hours before the show) and have a Twitter account. He then scraped by in the bottom two the next week when the fan save portion was over, before finally placing in fourth.

** There's also Philip Phillips, who managed to be safe from elimination and made it to the finale despite the judges and mentor consistently giving him mediocre feedback. He was also [=VoteForTheWorst=]-endorsed.

** Season 15 had Gianna Isabella (who only got as far as she did due to {{nepotism}} -- her mother, Brenda K. Starr, is friends with judge JenniferLopez) as well as the undercooked Lee Jean and [=Tristan McIntosh=].

** Rayvon Owens from season 14 isn't a bad singer, but has managed to get in the bottom two ''four weeks in a row'', and then get saved every single time by the new "fan save", a feature where people can vote to save their favorite of the bottom two in real time provided they are living on the east coast (or voting hours before the show) and have a Twitter account. He then scraped by in the bottom two the next week when the fan save portion was over, before finally placing in fourth.