Didn't expect her to win or even make the final, which for 3 weeks I've felt sure will be an all-male event (James versus someone). But I am surprised Pia was placed only 9th, and expected her to be top girl.

I'd started off with her as my favourite, she reminded me a little of Siobhan, but the similarities quickly evaporated. As the weeks and the ballads wore on I went off her, doubtless a lot of voters did the same.

Pia's voice has no individual character, it's like a hybrid of singers she's listened to and emulated, most notably Celine. She sings without any emotion or vulnerability, just a flawless execution from behind flawless make-up, like a technically perfect singing robot.

WHAT!!! I am absolutely gobsmacked and completely devastated that Pia has been eliminated. What the hell is going on? She was in a complete league of her own - it is actually a joke that Haley, Stefano, Paul and Casey are still there while singers like Pia are going home. What is the producer's agenda? The judges are always praising Haley's average performances and blowing smoke up her a$$ - but they've got ears - they must know she's average at best. This season had the potential to be the best yet but we've been left with 8 really average, safe and boring contestants. It's like they're terrified of someone with actual talent winning the show - like the Adam Lambert disaster. I don't know what else to say. Tempted to stop watching altogether.

I don't think the producers have anything to do with Pia going - I can't for one second believe they wanted yet another girl to go this early. Pia was on fairly late and had a much praised performance. It seems a lot felt similar to me, she was bland, great looking, great voice, but lacking in any emotional connection with the song or audience, she just wasn't inspiring enough to get people to pick up the phone.

The judges have always praised Pia and wanted her to get even better ( in fact , the judges praise everybody!). It is the viewers who vote, not the judges; the viewers obviously did not pick up the phone. No matter how good her voice was, she did not make that connection with listeners. There was probably also an element of 'she's so good, she will be safe' and so vote for someone else

Completely agree. During the audition stages I loved these 3 judges. I was like "Simon who?" JenniferLopez in particular impressed me, I thought she gave quite good critique - especially when they were being narrowed down to top 24.

But during the live shows the judges have really annoyed me. At this stage in the competition the contestants need to be perfect, or at least as close to itas possible – if they're not perfect then the judges need to tell them exactly what they did wrong. That doesn't happen. Instead we're told then every performance is "beautiful." We're made to believe that every one of those contestants is amazing when that is clearly not the case.

Simon may have been harsh sometimes but at least he helped us distinguish between who was really good and was just OK.

In regards to Pia, I like her but was she amazing? In my opinion no, she's just the same as many other singers who have appeared on these kind of shows. Nothing unique about her – whereas Casey, in my opinion, brings something different to the show.

Yup, that was my view after this week - something was vacant in her performance, she has the pipes but she was bland and didn't have a fanbase to keep her there.

I thought that's what Jennifer was trying to tell her. That her voice was good, but that she needed to research other stars to learn more stage presence and movements. The American public obviously listened to the judges and voted - or didn't in this case.

I'm afraid I found her bland too. She didn't deserve to go but each week I found I was admiring her singing rather than actually enjoying her performances. There is no uniqueness to her voice - something that can't be said about most of the other contestants. I have a feeling if she had stuck to the ballads she would have survived a couple more weeks.

I personally would have liked to see Stefano to go. He's the male equivalent to Pia except nowhere near as good a singer. Pleased to see Jacob in the bottom three too. The judges have been going way OTT with their praise for him.

Oh Dear. Sad and shocked that Pia has gone. She had a good voice, but there are other more interesting singers on the show. I'm sure someone will give her a record contract to make an album full of ballads. I was excited to see her sing the Tina Turner song, but it really showed her up as stiff, and without a punch.

Yes these judges. Ermmmm. They seem to say everything is beautiful. Everything cannot be beautiful - surely. Especially Steven. Sweet Guy but, man of few words. The judges need to be more analytical. Randy hits the mark, and he should keep on doing that, even when the audience or the other judges disapprove and boo. If every judge was positive on all performances, it would not be worth watching. This is where Simon would come in and say what people at home were thinking, but would not dare to say. Anyway, the votes speak for themselves. With Pia going, no doubt the judges are kicking themselves, because they got it wrong. Not America.

Heh, same here. Check out what I said in my earlier prediction omgwtfbbq called Pia in the B3 but no-one predicted her going.

People said that the judges would regret using their save on Casey, but most likely expected it to be used for James or possibly Lauren. This just shows that nothing should be taken for granted.

Ryan did ask the judges how the folks should vote and they said 'vote for your favourite' and 'I have no idea'. Well, the voters did vote, and yet the judges still blame the voters. Maybe they should be putting the blame at the idol's feet, and actually start giving them some constructive criticism too.

I've preferred Haley and Lauren (and Naima) all along to Pia, so she's no loss to me.

Yeah, too little too late though. Maybe Jennifer should have spelled it out a bit clearer, as Pia didn't seem to understand.

I can understand the judges being pissed off at her going, but their reaction pissed me off just as much as Jacob's silly remark in his pre-performance VT.

First they say the viewers are wrong about Casey and now Pia. Yet, they all loved Stefano's performance and Jennifer was gushing over Stefano and shushing Randy up when he was trying to say something constructive, but they still expected him to go instead of Pia. How does that work? And what a great way to make Stefano feel shitty about it.


Well then, she did deserve to go We don't know how many more votes she was getting compared to the others, and she may have only just been scraping through each week, because of all the ballads.

For all those talking about Pia's lack of stage performance etc, remember she was/is a wedding singer and therefore not used to performing, but rather standing behind a mic...this was something she could have worked on in the coming weeks.

Also, if she was a great performer right from the beginning, people still wouldn't have liked her as dare i say she would have been PERFECT, and noone likes perfection, they want to see growth!!!

I'm totally gutted Pia is gone and glad there are so many people out there who are outraged, people that have tweeted about her overnight include Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Tom Hanks, Most Idol Alums (inc, David Cook, Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson) Dancing with the Stars cast, the list is endless and glad i'm not the only one shocked by the outcome!!!!

I said the day after Casey was eliminated that either Jacob or Pia would be shockingly eliminated in the next 3 weeks, and how right I was!

I wouldn't say i expected it, but i wasn't too shocked. More mad, disappointed and being led to believe that there is perhaps some sexism in the Idol vote now - can't think of any other explanation!

I actually thought that Pia herself was the most safe, boring contestant of the last 9.

Simply she was bland, not a trainwreck and not outstanding, and the lack of any emotion in her performances just didn't inspire people to pick up the phone and vote for her. She seemed like a nice girl, very pretty but she really was Thia just a few years down the line. I'm mildly surprised she went over Jacob, but that's all.

Yes, there probably is a 'cute guy' factor to the voting, but I don't think that's what cost Pia her place.

I bet there wouldn't be as much outrage if it had been Haley who had been voted off last night, despite being a girl.

A lot of people were expecting Pia to maybe go out at 4th/5th place, so it doesn't make a whole lot of difference her going out at 9th. If people are expecting/hoping Lauren, Scotty, James and Casey as the Top 4, then Pia going now doesn't change that. As for folks saying that she 'shouldn't have gone this early' then this still means that she wasn't rated that highly enough to get to the finale. Whichever way it's painted, she obviously wasn't thought of as good enough to win.

Plus, it now also means that I haven't got to listen to dull ballads for the next few weeks. (unless Stefano continues with them )

Agree, Pia is beautiful and has a powerful voice but so bland, still I am surprised that she is out so soon.

After the hilarious result show with Stevie Wonder, Happy Birthday for Steve, Hulk Hogan and when Casey had a breakdown the other week the show has now gone back to being a bit of a drag. I was loving the judges but what with all these 'it was beautiful' comments, I hate to say it but Cowell with his 'I like you but' comments are needed.

Jacob was my early favourite but he is confusing me now, what with his man in the mirror comments, what was that about?

I said ...
"Both were smiling and looking relieved as they watched their main female competition getting voted off by the American Voters."

Pia WAS Hayley and Lauren's greatest competition out of the females for the top female spot. Now Pia has gone, that spot is left open for those two to fight over

God knows, starting to believe his own hype maybe, don't know really what it was about, but it was a very stupid thing to say, you don't tell the voters how to vote

oops duplicate

Lauren was also in tears at Pia leaving. I didn't see the smiling from her and Haley, so I can't comment on that part.

At the end of the day, everyone is in competition with each other, and of course the guys will be competing against each other, just as the girls will be. As Randy has been saying 'everyone's in it to win it!!' With that in mind, and the judges praising everybody on an equal level, can they really be so surprised by a 'supposed' frontrunner being voted off early? Why do they think people would like Pia more than anyone else, if they've all been upping their game?

Agent Krycek, I know this probably won't please you by me saying this, but James was definitely challenging Cookie with his hairdo last night. That was the first thing that struck me when I saw him

Urgh Haley is so boring she makes me want to kill myself.

She seems to be flavour of the month with her sudden over the top growling (it's in this year apparently) so maybe the Syesha run will happen for her after all.

I have a theory about Pia. I think she set herself up for a fall. By making such a big deal about her "uptempo" performance, she changed the reason to vote for her. It wasn't a vote for whether you liked it and she did good, but a vote for whether you thought this was a show-stopping uptempo that was worth waiting weeks for. Her performance was good but she set the bar higher. Does that make sense?

She did set herself up for a fall, by telling us what song she would be doing, and then failing to live up to expectations with it. I suspect a lot of people expected her to move about the stage, as this song requires it, but she failed to do so.

I wonder how many people noticed that she hardly joined in with the group hoedown at the end of the show on Weds night? All of the Idols were bopping about and being silly, except her. She didn't let herself go, which translates to a wooden performer and/or no personality.

It is rather funny, that Ryan always tells the viewers to 'vote for your favourite. You must vote to keep them in'. They did, and then the judges don't agree with the decision. Even though they also said last night 'vote for your favourite'.

Surely, as far as they're concerned, everyone in that Top 9 was as good as each other, so will it always be a shock when someone goes each week now?