American Idol Fandom Erupts as Oliver Steele Wishes for Iam Tongi to Win Season 21

Just a few days ago, another episode of the twenty-first season of American Idol aired, presenting an unusual setup. The show's regular judges, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie, were absent, attending King Charles III's coronation in London.

The duo performed at a celebratory concert following the event and streamed live from the palace to share kind words with the contestants of American Idol. In a surprising turn, the newly crowned King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla joined the musicians. Meanwhile, Alanis Morissette and Ed Sheeran stood in for the absentee judges.

Three more contestants were eliminated in this episode, including Oliver Steele. Shortly afterwards, Steele took to Instagram Stories to express his best wishes for Iam Tongi.

'Win this. Win it all. Take it home. You're the only one I want to win,' Steele wrote, tagging Tongi.

The show's fans had mixed reactions. While many were touched by the strong bond between the two contestants, some were disappointed that Oliver seemed to disregard the other artists competing on American Idol with his post.

'I like Oliver's voice and his friendship with Iam is sweet but I think I would have left this at Win this Iam!! and not all the extra words…' a Redditor commented sagely.

Perhaps recognising his misstep, Oliver quickly posted another story to clarify his intentions. He emphasised that he had great respect for all the other contestants on the show but saw Iam as special because of all the support he had received from him throughout the season.

'I love ALL of my fellow contestants and I believe in their artistry,' Oliver's story went. 'I'm proud of ALL the entire idol family for what I believe is the best season ever!!!'

The American Idol fandom responded swiftly. This time, fans were more understanding, and many came to Oliver's defence. Some even drew parallels between him and Catie Turner from season 16, who had also openly expressed her support for a fellow artist on the show yet had never faced any backlash from fans.

'He's not running for politics, he's allowed to have a favourite (just as much as we all are),' another Redditor concluded.

Indeed, we are all human. The next episode of American Idol airs on 14 May.

Sources: Reddit.