Joanna Pacitti, the contestant who has been in the showbiz since her childhood, will not continue her journey in 'American Idol' due to disqualification.
- Feb 12, 2009
AceShowbiz - Following protests from viewers and bloggers on the inclusion of 23-year-old Joanna Pacitti into "American Idol", new report surfaces that the contestant has actually been disqualified. Right after the telecast that reveal the Top 36 where Joanna is admitted, FOX announce that the Philadelphia native is "ineligible".
It became a controversy last month when Pacitti was handed a golden ticket to Hollywood despite the fact that she has performed more than a hundred times as the titular character of "Annie" in Broadway when she was 11. She was even signed to A&M Records and her vocal has appeared in several soundtracks to big screen movies.
Landing a verdict to this issue, FOX have decided to pull the string on her participation. "It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition," the network announced approximately half an hour after the Wednesday telecast. Missing one leg, the Top 36 admit 26-year-old wife and mother Felicia Barton who hardly had camera moment in the audition rounds.
No specific reason was thrown out for the ineligibility of Pacitti. To find out the other 35 contestants click here.
Previously, judge Kara DioGuardi defended the inclusion of Pacitti saying, "I do think it's fair because she's facing the same challenges and in some ways more challenges than some of the other contestants."
Update: Pacitti did not perform "Annie" on Broadway. Instead, she played title role during a national tour, but was replaced by an understudy weeks before the revival was to hit Broadway in 1997.
