Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery to battle it out in American Idol final... as Haley Reinhart is eliminated

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Life-changing: The next American Idol will be Lauren Alaina or Scotty McCreery as the two made it through to next week's final


Record 95 million votes put teenagers through

The next American Idol will be Lauren Alaina or Scotty McCreery - after Haley Reinhart was eliminated from the show.

Alaina, 16, and McCreery, 17, will go head to head for the tenth American Idol title next Tuesday.

A record 95m votes were recorded after the semi-final show last night.

Country crooner Scotty McCreery was the first to find out he had made it through followed by Lauren Alaina.


In... and out: Alaina celebrates as Haley Reinhart learns she has been eliminated from the show


Haley Reinhart, 20, kept her cool belting out Bennie And The Jets, without shedding a tear.

At the end of the song Haley said: 'You'll be seeing me, this ain't the end of this, this ain't the end of this thing - see you later!'

She then embraced her mother and father in the audience.

Reinhart had always seemed doomed on Idol. Unlike her remaining rivals the wavy-haired singer had been less definable and garnered fewer votes, landing at the bottom as one of the show's low vote-getters four times after weak performances of such songs as LeAnn Rimes' Blue and Blondie's Call Me.


No tears: Haley Reinhart, 20, kept her cool belting out Bennie And The Jets, without shedding a tear


This season's femme fatale found recent success by boldly tackling classic rock tunes.

She earned a standing ovation from the judges two weeks ago for a rousing rendition of The Animals' version of The House of the Rising Sun, and she was lauded again Wednesday for her performances of Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon and Led Zeppelin's What Is and What Should Never Be.

It was apparently too little, too late for Reinhart after 95 million viewer votes were cast Wednesday.


Well done: After her performance Haley ran to embrace her parents in the audience


While she was finding her groove throughout the finals, McCreery and Alaina had been delivering consistent country and pop performances since their attention-grabbing auditions.

McCreery never appeared at the bottom, and Alaina only did once two weeks ago.
Earlier in the evening as each of the three finalists were filmed visiting their hometowns.


I'll be back: Haley vowed that viewers hadn't seen the last of her


The show also featured a sizzling live performance by Nicole Scherzinger and 50 Cent and the U.S. debut of Italian boy-band and tenor trio Il Volo.

Haley Reinhart made a tearful return to her hometown of Wheeling, Illinois a village 30 miles north of Chicago where she was overwhelmed by the number of fans who came out to see her despite a downpour.

Scotty McCreery returned to his hometown of Garner, North Carolina for an all out concert performance - crying on camera as he was pictured leaving in his limousine.


Homecoming: Scotty McCreery sobs as he makes his triumphant return to him hometown


Emotional: McReery sobbed as he prepared for an all out concert performance in Garner, North Carolina


But the perhaps the most emotional return was for Southern belle Lauren Alaina returned to Rossville, Georgia to visit her old high-school before taking a tour of the nearby area, which was devastated by recent storms and tornadoes.

She wept as she past through the devastated communities meeting with some of the families whose lives had been torn apart by the disaster.

'I'm doing this for you guys,' she told the crowd.


Disbelief: Lauren Alaina returned to Rossville, Georgia to visit her old high-school before taking a tour of the nearby area, which was devastated by recent storms and tornadoes


I'm doing this for you: She wept as she past through the devastated communities meeting with some of the families whose lives had been torn apart by the disaster


McCreery and Alaina will face off Tuesday, with the 10th season Idol champion crowned on Wednesday.

It will mark the youngest finale matchup in Idol history.

Producers lowered the minimum age requirement to 15 years old this season, which allowed Alaina, who's been compared to fourth season Idol winner Carrie Underwood, the chance to audition last year.


Success: The judges are also winners, with a record 95-million votes were recorded after the semi-final show last night


The show featured a sizzling live performance by Nicole Scherzinger, she will co-host the U.S. X Factor


source: dailymail