LOS ANGELES (AP) — Didi Benami has a reason to be brokenhearted
on “American Idol.”

The 23-year-old waitress from Los Angeles was eliminated from the
ninth season of the Fox singing competition Wednesday.

Benami, who was panned for her overdramatic rendition of Jimmy
Ruffin’s “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” on Tuesday’s
soul-themed show, received the fewest viewer votes and was not
saved by the show’s judges.

“You are a very brave young lady,” host Ryan Seacrest told the
weepy singer.

Joining Benami in the bottom three were 20-year-old college student
Tim Urban of Duncansville, Texas, and 17-year-old high school
student Katie Stevens of Middlebury, Conn. Urban was slammed for
his uninspired rendition of Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love,” while
Stevens received a wholly lukewarm response for her take on Aretha
Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.”

With Benami gone, shaggy-haired Urban maintains his reign as the
Sanjaya Malakar of season nine. While the judges have consistently
pummeled his performances, the smiley singer continues to avoid
dismissal thanks to viewer votes. When Urban happily explained why
he keeps grinning through the judges’ harsh critiques, the studio
audience went wild.

“I don’t know what to make of it,” said judge Kara DioGuardi.

Before Benami’s ouster, the awkwardness between Seacrest and Simon
Cowell continued to mount. The chirpy host probed the acerbic
British judge on how 16-year-old contestant Aaron Kelly of
Sonestown, Pa., could honestly sing about love when he has never
experienced it. Cowell forcefully warned Seacrest that he was
really, really getting on his nerves.

“Ryan, this is not the Oprah Winfrey show,” Cowell sniped.

The other finalists remaining in the competition are Crystal
Bowersox, 24, of Toledo, Ohio; Lee Dewyze, 23, of Mount Prospect,
Ill.; Andrew Garcia, 24, of Moreno, Calif.; Casey James, 27, of
Fort Worth, Texas; Michael Lynche, 26, of Astoria, N.Y.; and
Siobhan Magnus, 20, of Marstons Mills, Mass.