▁media ▁kind ▁of ▁does ▁what ▁they ▁do ▁and ▁I ▁got ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁weird ▁and ▁negative ▁press ▁very ▁early ▁on ▁but , ▁you ▁know , ▁I ▁just ▁kind ▁of ▁held ▁my ▁head ▁high ▁and ▁it ▁kind ▁of ▁got ▁forgotten ▁about ▁as ▁the ▁show ▁went ▁on ." ▁She ▁adds ▁" You ▁know , ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁had ▁professional ▁care ers ▁that ▁were ▁involved ▁and ▁I ▁actually ▁hadn ' t ▁really ▁had ▁lots ▁of ▁stage ▁experience ▁and ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁people ▁had ▁and ▁I ▁think ▁that ' s ▁more ▁of ▁the ▁experience ▁that ▁you ▁really ▁need ▁on ▁that ▁show ." ▁ ▁Smith son ' s ▁elim ination ▁came ▁as ▁a ▁surprise ▁to ▁view ers ▁as ▁she ▁was ▁considered ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁front - run ners ▁on ▁the ▁show . ▁This ▁prompt ed ▁an ▁un pre ced ented ▁reaction , ▁with ▁blog gers ▁question ing ▁the ▁popular ▁program ' s ▁cred ibility ▁amid st ▁reports ▁from ▁fans ▁of ▁busy ▁signals ▁throughout ▁the ▁voting ▁period . ▁Whit ney ▁Past ore k ▁of ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly ▁mock ingly ▁called ▁the ▁show ▁" America ' s ▁Em bar rass ing ▁L aps es ▁in ▁Jud gment ", ▁saying ▁" Car ly ▁Smith son ▁was ▁sent ▁pack ing , ▁despite ▁a ▁rend ition ▁of ▁' J es us ▁Christ ▁Super star ' ▁that ▁Jesus ▁himself ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁hard - pressed ▁to ▁top ". ▁There ▁were ▁claims ▁of ▁fixing ▁and ▁calls ▁for ▁the ▁show ▁to ▁publish ▁precise ▁voting ▁tot als , ▁resulting ▁in ▁a ▁press ▁release