Evidently, according to USA Today, a placer on American Idol could earn as much as $100,00 after being edged out of the competition. Contestants have to commit to one year of singing and performing with Idol productions (19E and Fremantle) even after the show is over. They would have to be binded by a contract that would require them to join the Idol Tour, a series of concerts across America.
As a short term gig, the money’s not pretty bad, eh? As a budding musician, it’s a good place to start, I guess.
Unfortunately, not every placer gets to go. The Idol Tour only takes the first ten placers. So, that means…if you’ve been the eleventh person booted out, it would have to suck to be you. That’s $100,000 guaranteed earning down the drain.
So, today we’re looking back at the unlucky (or lucky?0 eleventh placers in season’s past. What have they been doing after Idol? I’ll start with Season 3, since in the Philippines, we got to watch our very first American Idol during the third season.