Spoiler Alert! Find Out Who Won American Idol

Us Magazine - May 21, 2009 3:37 AM PDT
Story photo: Spoiler Alert! Find Out Who Won American IdolMichael Becker/FOXUs Magazine
It's official: Kris Allen is the new American Idol!

A record-setting 100 million votes determined the 23-year-old Conway, Arkansas native as the Season 8 winner tonight.

"The underdog, the dark horse, came back and wins the nation," Seacrest said after reading Allen's name.

A humble -- and shocked! -- Allen said: "Adam deserves this. I'm sorry, I don't even know what to feel right now. This is crazy!"

Look back on Idol's Top 13 contestants.

Allen wasn't considered a frontrunner going into the finale. Judge Simon Cowell declared his support for 27-year-old Adam Lambert, saying on Tuesday's show: "The whole idea about doing a show like this is that you hope you can find a worldwide star -- I genuinely believe with all my heart that we have found that with you."

But Allen, a business-school student, earned praise from the judges after his rendition of Kanye West's "Heartless" on last week's show.

Remember Season 8's Top 36?

"I had literally written you out of this competition," Cowell said then. "That, however, has all changed after that performance."

Carlos Santana, Cindy Lauper, Queen Latifah, Lionel Richie and the Black Eyed Peas were among the performers at the finale.

Familiar faces from the season also made cameos.

Nick Mitchell ripped off a hoodie and jeans to reveal the sparkly top and khaki shorts his character Norman Gentle donned during Hollywood Week.

Bikini Girl Katrina Darrell made an appearance -- showing off her famous swimsuit and noticeably bigger curves.

Joked Seacrest: "I'd ask what's new, but I already know!"

Darrell burst into song, and was joined by Kara DioGuardi in a surprise duet. At the end, DioGuardi stripped off her dress to reveal a bikini!

Later, Drama queen Tatiana Del Toro burst into song and was jokingly chased off by security before the show cut to commercial break.

Check out before and after photos of Idols who have lost and gained weight.

Tuesday night's Idol earned 23.8 million viewers, down from 2008's 27 million -- making it the lowest-rated finale in the show's history, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

See what an Idol stylist has to say about contestant fashion.

Prior Idols include Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson.

Tell Us: Did Kris deserve to win?


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comments 1-10 of 48  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >|  hide comments · post a comment
  • ElizabethH
    Adam was clearly the most talented contestant this year and among perhaps the best ever. Too bad America is so prejudiced against gay people. this was a talent competition and no one could touch Adam as far as talent. He is brilliant and is America's winner. Watch his carreer take off!
    report abuseposted May 27, 2009 5:43 PM PDT
  • stray
    American Idol is a joke!.. Adam would have won if he wasn't gay and everyone knows it, including Kris.. It's not really a singing contest.. If it were, the best singer would have won.. Unfortunately homophobia is alive and well in American and there is no way that American Idol would let a gay guy have the title.. Not that it will hurt Adam's carreer much.. Even the judg
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 2:28 PM PDT
  • ramon n
    I do not condemn Kris winning the show since the viewers calls counts as the final vote! Kris won it fair ana square,but I will predict that Adam will sell more records than Kris!! Remember Aikins who also came second best!!!
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 9:02 AM PDT
  • ramon n
    I do not condemn Kris winning the show since the viewers calls counts as the final vote! Kris won it fair ana square,but I will predict that Adam will sell more records than Kris!! Remember Aikins who also came second best!!!
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 9:02 AM PDT
  • (cont.) If not then maybe they should have tried out instead of sitting on their a$$es running their mouths.
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 7:03 AM PDT
  • Danny %@!*#ey should have won, but oh well, it was probably younger females blowin up the phones voting for Kris, because though not so much in my opinion alot of people have said he is cute. Allison was definitely better than Kris too. And wth is all this stuff about Adam, so many ppl talk ish but he could outsing and/or perform anyone of them.
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 7:02 AM PDT
  • Ang B
    Do you honestly believe your vote counted? It's a money gimmick (texting at least). I told my co-workers exactly what was going to happen... and it did! I bet if you read the fine print it will say something like the producers of the show have some kind of final dision making (blah blah blah). This was done to cause controversy and promote the show. It is a win win situation for both....
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 6:34 AM PDT
  • Duane
    Funny this is. Everyone who likes Kris. Well should I say dislikes Adam because of how he looks. Says Adams screams or shrieks. Well if that's the case. Why cant any of you do it. We all can scream, we all can shriek, but no one can sing and no one has the range Adam has. Face it, you voted for the 3rd or 4th best guy singer. Adam, Danny, Matt, and Allison out sang Kris the entire show.
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 6:22 AM PDT
  • Duane
    Funny this is. Everyone who likes Kris. Well should I say dislikes Adam because of how he looks. Says Adams screams or shrieks. Well if that's the case. Why cant any of you do it. We all can scream, we all can shriek, but no one can sing and no one has the range Adam has. Face it, you voted for the 3rd or 4th best guy singer. Adam, Danny, Matt, and Allison out sang Kris the entire show.
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 6:22 AM PDT
  • debra w
    I liked Kris better then Adam, but they both will have great music careers. Both really did win in the long run, because finishing 2nd means that Adam will not have to share 25 % of his earnings for the next 2 years. All the contestants sign a contract when they are the final 13.
    report abuseposted May 21, 2009 6:17 AM PDT
comments 1-10 of 48  |< newest · < newer · older > · oldest >| 

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