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A former American Idol winner has claimed that he was told who would be eliminated every week before it was announced.
Taylor Hicks, who won the reality series back in 2006, said in an interview on US radio station WJOX that he had an "in" who kept him in the loop – and that the only time he did not know the result beforehand was the final.
He went on to say that even though he was unaware of the result in the final, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe gave him a "wink" before Ryan Seacrest announced to the nation that he had won over runner-up Katharine McPhee.
Taylor also claimed that the other contestants were "absolutely" aware as well.
Responding to TMZ, Lythgoe strongly denied any truth to his claims.
Taylor said: "I had an 'in' in the whole production of the show. I'm not going to say who. I'm not going to say anybody – I'm not going to say who – but I had a clear picture every night who was going.
"I never bet one dollar, and there were so many odds.
"I didn't tell anybody. I was just informed who was going home and who wasn't.
"[In the finale], I did not know who was going to win. The finale was the only night. [But] I had a good feeling. Actually, Nigel Lythgoe and I had a chat before the actual finale results. He gave me a wink and nod, which was great."
The most recent American Idol season – which was broadcast on ABC for the first time instead of FOX – was won by Maddie Poppe.
American Idol airs on ABC in the US and is available on Amazon Prime in the UK.
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