American Idol ousted Kristen O'Connor during Thursday night's live results show on Fox, determining the thirteenth season's Top 12 finalists.

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Kristen, a 24-year-old nurse tech from Sebastian, FL, became the first finalist sent home from American Idol's thirteenth season after she received the fewest home viewer votes cast following Wednesday night's performance show, which featured the Top 13 finalists performing songs which they believed best represented them as individual artists.

Kristen's elimination became official after Idol judges Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Lopez and Keith Urban announced they weren't going to prevent her departure by using the one "The Judges' Save" of the season. Kristen had been in the bottom three with M.K. Nobilette and Malaya Watson.

During a Friday conference call with reporters, Kristen talked to Reality TV World about whether she was surprised to get eliminated and whether she thought the judges would save her. Below is what she had to say.

Reality TV World: You had kind of gotten mixed reviews from the judges for your performance of "Beautiful Disaster" this week, yet the judges said they didn't think the bottom three deserved to be there. So were you surprised to be eliminated or did you kind of have a feeling it might happen?

Kristen O'Connor: No, I did have a feeling it might happen, because you know, I was a "Wild Card" the week before and I knew -- I really felt that if I didn't have a really strong performance, that when I sang "Beautiful Disaster," there was a chance I'd be going home. Because I was a "Wild Card;" America hadn't voted me in.

And so, I felt like I really needed to win them over, and although I think I had a good performance, I just didn't think it was the one that was going to win over America. And so, when they didn't call my name, I wasn't shocked or wasn't surprised. But you know, of course I was disappointed because I know that I really do have, I think, what it takes.

I think production and everyone there, I think they were disappointed too -- and even the judges. I know they definitely recognized my talent and it's just unfortunate that I didn't get to show America everything that I have to offer, but I'm really proud of everything that I did show and I just hope that they'll continue to watch my journey and my career as it unfolds.

Reality TV World: Since you were one of the judges' "Wild Card" picks, did you feel at the time the judges were going to go out on a limb for you again and use their "Judges' Save" since they clearly wanted you in the competition? And also, did you ever find out if any of the judges did vote "yes" to keep around, and if not, did you ever get an explanation from them on why not?

Kristen O'Connor: No, I didn't. Honestly, I didn't expect them to use "the save" no matter who it was that night, because it's the first night and the first opportunity for them to use "the save."

And so, you know, I don't think it's ever happened where they used it that early in the competition, and because they had already taken a chance on me once -- and America hadn't come through and voted for me -- I did not expect them to use "the save" on me. They have a whole season ahead of them.

And the judges didn't really give me an explanation, but I mean, I'm just putting myself in their shoes. I don't blame them just because they have a whole season left and I think once they get up to those top numbers, I think "the save" will be more useful than [now].

But the judges did all come up to me after the show and had some really nice, encouraging words for me, and I can tell that they definitely believe in me. Mhm.

Also during the call, Kristen talked to reporters about her American Idol experience -- including what happened with her earpiece and sound issue and whether she wishes she had picked a different song other than Kelly Clarkson's "Beautiful Disaster."

Did you take your earpiece out during your performance because you heard Harry Connick Jr. previously telling Dexter Roberts that might be the reason people were singing out of tune? Did that influence your decision onstage?

Kristen O'Connor: No, you know what? I didn't even know that he said that to Dexter. I was backstage in my own world, but no, what happened to me was while I was singing -- all my rehearsals, you know, everything was great -- and then while I was singing up there, there was a click-track that was playing through the in-ear monitor like a metronome. So it was like clicking and it was offbeat.

I think it might've been for someone else's song or something like that, because it was offbeat, it was really loud -- louder than all of the instrumentals and it was louder than my vocal. It was extremely distracting, so I had to take it out just to get through the song. But I think I pushed through it, and I think the performance showed that.

What do you think about your song choice? Looking back, do you wish you had done something other than a Kelly Clarkson song? It's probably a difficult song for anybody to sing.

Kristen O'Connor: You know, my decision to sing that song -- I had taken advice from production and people on the show although I did come to agree with them that it was a good choice, and when I sang the song for my vocal coaches and for Randy Jackson and for the executive producers, they all told me it was a great choice.

And so, I felt confident with it and I don't regret doing it. I'm happy with the way it turned out. I just wish that I had gotten the chance to show America a little bit more with my guitar, because that's more of who I am, and also, some more upbeat stuff too. Because I think America kind of only saw one side of me, which is unfortunate.

In the moment while you and Malaya were waiting for the final word, were you talking to each other? Did you have anything you discussed because it looked like you were hanging on to each other pretty tight.

Kristen O'Connor: Actually, before the show even started, Malaya and I were talking and we had discussed that we thought it was going to be the two of us standing there, so actually both of us had struggled with the song choices that we chose.

We both kind of took advice from production, and like I said earlier, one of the things I really learned from all of this is it's so important to really stick true to who you are.

And I think that every time someone strays from that, that's when they kind of get the brunt of, you know, not their best performance. Yeah, and so, I think both of us kind of struggled with that, so we weren't surprised to be standing there.

So when we were, we were just kind of holding on to each other saying, "You know what? No matter what happens, like, we're going to stay friends." She's an awesome girl and yeah, I mean, I don't think we were really talking too much when we were standing there. We were just like, "Okay, let's see!" And we were just hoping for the best.

Are the contestants able to just kind of sense when their time is up on the show?

Kristen O'Connor: I definitely was able to, and I mean, so was Malaya. Both of the two of us that were standing up there, we definitely knew that it was going to be us standing there. At least we felt like there was a good chance. And so, I mean, but MK, I think it was a shock to her and it was a shock for me for her to be in the bottom three.

I definitely think it's unpredictable at this point, because America -- I think it can change week to week and people who are safe might -- I think it can be shocking.

But for anyone that senses it could be happening to them, I mean, for me, it was just important to me to go out with my head held high on a good note. I wanted to have a good performance for my final performance in front of America. So I just wanted to really kill it and just leave it in a way that I could be proud of.

Check back with Reality TV World on Monday for more from Kristen's interview.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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