This morning I chatted with Michael Lynche about being eliminated from “American Idol.” Interviewing contestants after they go home is something I have now done almost 50 times, so why did our interview feel different? Plus, a “Lost” mystery finally is solved. Are those alternate endings being touted by Jimmy Kimmel the real deal or fake? I’ve got the answer in today’s Dish.
Big Mike’s Big Disappointment
I have interviewed every contestant after they were eliminated from “American Idol” since 2005 in the exact same hotel (and many times even the same room) every Friday morning during the competition. I can honestly say that Michael Lynche — by far — seemed to be the most affected by his being voted off. “I don’t know how to describe it, but there’s something different about you,” I told Michael. “There’s almost — in your eyes — a sadness that I didn’t see in anybody else who has been eliminated from the competition.”
“My heart is really my… the center of everything for me and when you give your heart, there’s always the opportunity that it can get broken,” Michael explained. “But, you know, I’m just like super driven and I really can’t wait ‘til the next place to get to the next fight. You’re only as good as your last time out and although I was good my last time out, it still wasn’t the result that I wanted.”
However, Michael told me the one thing he is not disappointed in is himself. “I’m just disappointed in the situation itself. I think America can be a fickle thing and, you know, it’s not always based on how well you do,” he said.
Before he heads home to St. Petersburg, Fla., Michael has got the finale to think about and the upcoming live tour. Tickets go on sale in select markets today and the rest tomorrow morning at 10 AM.
“I’m super excited about [the] tour,” Michael admitted. “It’ll be nice to get out, you know, perform in a setting where you’re not being judged! You can just love on the audience and they can just love on you. It’s gonna be a really amazing time.”
Check out more from my interview with Michael HERE.
Order your tickets for the tour HERE.
“Lost” Mystery Solved!
The day it was announced that Jimmy Kimmel would air three alternate endings on his live finale show (airing after the “Lost” finale on May 23rd) many “Lostee’s” around here were super excited. In the world of DVD extras, doesn’t everyone shoot alternate endings and special material now? Of course, we all forgot to take into consideration that Jimmy’s late night show – “Jimmy Kimmel Live” — is a comedy show. Over the years, he has done tons of “Lost” skits. Just last week, the day after the “Across The Sea” origin story of the Man In Black and Jacob aired, Jimmy was ready with his own origin story — one that included a huge Connect 4 game! Check out the skit HERE.
After seeing this, I decided that maybe these alternate endings were more alternate Jimmy realities. Well, it turns out I was right! I got the story straight from the show’s Executive Producer’s Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. The alternate endings are fake!
“Look, all we can say is we have been thinking about the ending of our show for such a long time,” Damon told me. “And that’s the ending that we wrote and that’s the ending that we shot. We would never shoot any alternate endings seriously.”
As for the Kimmel-ized alternate endings, Carlton promised that “they are really funny and enjoyable. You should not miss these. These are life changing.”
And guess who will be in them? “If you feel like you need to see Carlton and I acting — I don’t know why you would feel that way — but you are about to get that,” Damon revealed.
Carlton and Damon joined cast members from the show including Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Michael Emerson (Ben) and Jorge Garcia at UCLA’s Royce Hall on Thursday night for an event celebrating the upcoming series finale. Even as members of the show they have questions they would like answered about it.
“Will Sawyer be rich or broke and living in a trailer,” Josh joked. “I guess the numbers were always something interesting to me. So I hope they solve all of that and the big question of where did this island come from and that kind of thing.”
“I think the biggest question I had was already answered, which is, ‘Why are we here?’” Daniel told me. “What about us brought us to the island and I think it gets further answered a little bit later.”
Most everyone I spoke to at the event told me that when the finale airs on May 23rd, the reaction to it will be mixed.
“Not everybody is going to be satisfied. I can guarantee that,” Michael told me. “There will be some grumbling. I’m still not clear about how the show ends and I acted in it! But the more I think about it, the more I like it. I just realized that it didn’t come in the package I expected, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t great.”
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.