A decade ago, Juan Pablo Galavis became one of the most-hated suitors in The Bachelor history, not just because of his general apathy and dismissive behavior towards his prospective brides (the man's catchphrase was literally a shrugging "It's OK") or his viral homophobic remark about how a possible same-sex Bachelor spinoff would be "pervert in a sense," but for his cruel slut-shaming of eventual runner-up Clare Crawley — who in one of the most epic Bachelor scenes ever told him, "I would never want my children having a father like you!"
But as it turns out, while Juan Pablo may not be husband material (his doomed romance with 2014 Bachelor "winner" Nikki Ferrell lasted only seven months after a stint on VH1's Couples Therapy failed to fix their issues, and his two-year marriage to model Osmariel Villalobos ended in 2019), he actually is a doting father. This week, in an instance of surely uncoincidental cross-promotional synergy, the former star of one of ABC's biggest reality competitions accompanied his 14-year-old daughter Camila to her audition for ABC's American Idol. And while I don't think Camila's ABC run will ultimately prove any more successful that her dad's — "You know what it's like to be on television, and you're trying to throw her into this lion's den?" Idol judge Katy Perry gasped to Juan Pablo on Sunday — it was sweet to see the onetime TV villain, whom Camila called her "best friend," be so proud and supportive of his kid's dream.
Camila Galavis, the youngest hopeful of American Idol Season 22, tried out with Venezuelan pop star Joaquina's "Rabia," and though she displayed some natural ability — Katy called said she had an "accessible" pop voice — to borrow her dad's favorite adjective, her performance was just OK. I doubt she would have even made it past the preliminary producers' round without her Bachelor connection. Katy also flat-out told Camila, "You've got a good voice, but it sounds a little young. It's got lots of personality, and it's very youthful, but I'm just looking for some of those notes that could come out and really compete with the other contestants." Judge Lionel Richie also didn't think Camila was quite ready for prime time, although Katy was surprisingly willing to give her a shot.
Judge Luke Bryan agreed that Camila's "biggest hurdle" would be the "big, high notes that are still giving her a little bit of trouble," and he thought she would "get swallowed up" in this competition. But because Luke thought Camila's voice had a "radio tone" that was "very listenable" and "very pop," and because he believed that "the right producer could take her voice and cut a hit album right now," he changed his initial no to a yes — based solely on commercial potential.
"You barely made it in!" Luke told Camila. "You're going to Hollywood... and Dad, you're going to Hollywood again!" Lionel exclaimed. "What if you find love again in Hollywood?" Katy then semi-rhetorically asked Juan Pablo — to which he gamely quipped, "You never know!"
Luke had just described Juan Pablo as "dreamy," and Juan Pablo had made it clear that he's still single-and-looking when he tried to flirt with not-single Katy and was gently rebuffed. Ugh. I really hope that Juan Pablo's little family-friendly Idol cameo wasn't ABC's attempt to humanize him and set the scene for some proposed new Bachelor spinoff/reboot. Juan Pablo did come across well Sunday, but after his daughter inevitably gets eliminated during Hollywood Week, I think that should be the time for him to take a moment and say his goodbyes.
Sunday was the final night of American Idol Season 22 auditions, and the episode was packed with more viable contenders, including this season's third and final Platinum Ticket recipient. Read on to find out who'll be joining the Galavises in Hollywood.
Ricky Moyer, 22: "It Must Have Been Love"
This piano version of Roxette's melodramatic Pretty Woman classic, which cold-opened Sunday's episode with little fanfare and no contestant backstory, was aching and affecting, the music alone making the case alone for Ricky's Golden Ticket. His delivery reminded me of John Legend, or Idol Season 17's Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon, or even a bit like Lionel in balladeer mode. And Lionel was certainly impressed, waving his pen like a conductor's wand and telling Ricky, "You were so clear on that performance that I was doing the orchestration." An obviously smitten Katy gushed, "You gave us moment after moment after moment." And Luke predicted, "It's going to be fun watching you potentially surprise us." I'd be surprised if Ricky didn't go far, and I'm eager to learn more about him.
Liliana Tovar Dalton, 17: "5%" / "Someone Like You"
This adorkable Swiftie, who "has a lot of feelings" and is currently in her "Reputation era," has written "a bunch of songs about stupid teenage boys"- a subject that is unfortunately an endless and constant source of inspiration for her. One of those originals, "5%," seemed directly pulled from Liliana's teenage diary. Her lyrics about stalking a breadcrumbing boy on Instagram and waiting for texting messages that never come through were so nakedly honest, I actually winced from secondhand embarrassment. Katy's eyebrows shot upward with acknowledgment, and while Katy thought the song "felt like just one long text message" and "lacked a little bit of fundamental structure," she still "loved it loved it, loved it! It was raw. It was vulnerable. You were taking your inner thoughts and displaying them to the world." The judges wondered if Liliana had a "fifth gear" vocally and therefore tasked her with singing a more challenging breakup song, Adele's "Someone Like You"... and I don't really think she hit that gear. Liliana is not a big belter — but in my opinion, she doesn't have to be. Thankfully, Katy liked how Liliana tapped into all of the "changing hormones" churning inside her, so it was a yes. "When you're on TV, he's totally gonna text you back, and you're gonna leave him on Read," Katy quipped, as Liliana held up her Golden Ticket and cheekily thanked "all my exes" for the inspo.
Sophia Ava Marie, 15: "The One That Got Away"
This Katy superfan had a little too much vibrato, making her audition come across like a cloying recital performance. But Sophia clearly was feeling it, and any high school kid confident and brave enough to cover a Katy Perry song in front of Katy Perry gets props from me.
Brant McCollough, 26, "Fire Away"
Brant didn't display a huge vocal range, but he had a nice, naturally gravelly tone. Luke heard tons of potential, assuring Brant, "You've really got something... and you're gonna really have something!" The rough-voiced underdog could be a diamond in the rough.
Carmen Olivia 16: "Oscar Winning Tears"
This was a brassy, wildly unhinged performance from another in-her-feels teen than almost didn't work. But this bold kid's fearless and manic delivery was oddly compelling. Carmen was giving theater. "You are 16 in the best ways of being 16," Katy told her.
Garrison Bennett, 18: "Superstition"
This Lionel Richie-circa-'78 mini-me had "the look," according to Lionel himself, right down to the amber aviator shades and fluffy 'fro. Luke even jokingly demanded Garrison submit to a paternity test, to which Lionel remarked, "I'd be proud of that one!" It would have been another fun cross-series promotional stunt — way better than Juan Pablo's cameo! — if Maury Povich had strutted in at that moment. Sadly, that did not happen, but when Garrison sassed his way through a Stevie Wonder classic, he seemed to have some Lionel groove in him. I loved this North Carolinian's thick, Southern-fried drawl and supercool '70s swag. Luke actually compared Garrison to the "laid-back" Leon Bridges and wanted more energy, but I thought this guy was — Commodores pun intended — easy on the ears and eyes. Garrison was a whole vibe.
Jayna Elise, 22: "The Climb"
Last season, this Good Samaritan made it to Hollywood, where she didn't stand out so much for her singing but for her kindness to her fellow contestants, especially during the always dramatic and fraught group challenge. Jayna focused too much on helping others, to the point that it hindered her last year, but now she's back to reclaim her own "moment to shine." She returned looking like a star and, as Katy put it, "coming out of the shadows to be a lead singer," and her gospel rendition of Miley Cyrus's empowerment anthem was, as Katy put it again, "a full three-course meal" and "a whole moment." As Luke put it, her audition consisted of just "classic badass singing." Katy told Jayna, "You have really grown in a short amount of time. ... It's going to be a different type of competition for you this time." I think Jayna has stored up some good karma for Season 22.
Cate Gartner, 18: "The Place That I Call Home"
Cate, who arrived with her precocious toddler son Cooper in tow, auditioned with an original that she wrote at age 16 to process her mixed feelings after finding out that she was unexpectedly pregnant. Her delivery was a bit faltering and bland, not as emotional or gritty as I'd craved, but the tune was memorable and her viewpoint was original. Katy called Cate a "natural talent," and Luke loved Cate's "Alison Krauss innocence," telling her, "The sky's the limit!" Cate surely has a future as a songwriter, but we'll see if she has the goods to be a singer-songwriter.
Jacy Matthews, 17, & Mia Matthews, 18: "Help Me Make It Through the Night" & "No Place That Far"
These tight-knit sisters, who sing three-part harmony with their widowed "momager" in their family band Worth the Wait, came to American Idol with much at stake, believing that their auditions would determine whether they stay together or embark on separate solo careers. Of course, neither of them mentioned that Worth the Wait competed on The Voice four years ago and even received an invite from their coach Blake Shelton to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. It was weird that their entire Idol story arc focused on them supposedly not being ready for the big leagues. Anyway, I preferred Jacy's old-soulful Kris Kristofferson cover (despite Mia's somewhat clumsy and rudimentary acoustic guitar accompaniment), which was raw and aching; Lionel said Jacy's "flaws" were "exciting to listen to." Mia's purer and sweeter Sara Evans cover, however, captured Katy and Luke's attention more, with Katy telling Mia, "You present as an artist." Neither "quiet and timid" sister got a unanimous verdict — Luke said no to Jacy, and Lionel rejected Mia — and the entire panel questioned whether either of them were ready to enter the "lion's den." (Once again, I want to point out that Jacy and Mia made it all the way to the Live Playoffs of The Voice Season 19.) But ultimately, Katy observed, "You guys are very in your feelings, and I love that. ... That's good. That means you're gonna fight for it."
Jordan Anthony, 18: "Forget Me"
Jordan — like the Matthew sisters and two other outsourced foreign auditioners this season, former X Factor U.K. contestants Scarlett Lee and Michael Rice — came to Idol with an impressive but completely unmentioned singing-show résumé. In 2019, Jordan competed on The Voice Australia and placed fourth; that same year, he represented Oz at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. But his week on Idol, he was simply portrayed as a starry-eyed young Aussie who took a chance and with just one week's notice flew 19 hours from Perth to pursue his American dream. But of course, Jordan was a total pro on his Lewis Capaldi cover. The judges were stunned into silence by his gorgeous piano performance, until Lionel cried out, "Love that, love that!" when Jordan's voice jumped an effortless octave. Jordan had a rare elastic range for a male singer, which a "really intrigued" Katy called "piercing to the heart." Lionel marveled, "Some of those runs, I had to think, 'Did he really do that?'" Maybe Jordan can get even farther than fourth place this time.
Victoria Johnson, 16: "No Excuses"
Victoria did the Meghan Trainor song, not Radiohead one, lamentably. I think Radiohead's "No Excuses" might have been a better song choice. This girl is clearly talented and a personality-plus, but Trainor's novelty song made her seem so affected and actress-y. Victoria's smarmy delivery was off-putting and seemed insincere. She appeared taken aback when she received the mildest critique — Katy asked her to sing with more volume, which was odd because Victoria was already practically shouting the song — but Victoria took it in stride when the judges gave her a holey, slobbery Golden Ticket that had recently been chewed up by Luke's visiting pet dog, Choc. That wasn't a great omen, and I think Victoria could get chewed up and spit out during Hollywood Week.
Ty'Esha La-Shae, 22: "Unaware"
This instantly likable girl-next-door possessed a big, passionate, soulful voice, and she transformed an Allen Stone song that, frankly, has been covered so often on American Idol that I've wondered if Allen owns stock in Fremantle or ABC. Ty'Esha made Stone's song her own, as they say in the biz. "That sound is solid, and you know what you're doing," Lionel raved.
Spencer Wells, 24: "Use Somebody"
This brawny beefcake barreled into the room looking more like he was auditioning for American Gladiators than American Idol. But, while his voice wasn't as big as his biceps, Spencer delivered a convincing enough Kings of Leon cover for Luke to give him a yes despite being "jealous" of this tough guy's physique. All of the judges said this football's performance was a "touchdown."
Bethany Teague, 25: "Piece by Piece"
This sweet and fragile girl, whom Katy called a "butterfly," was raised by her grandma after her mother's death and never knew her father. So, Kelly Clarkson's song about family heartbreak really hit home for her. Bethany was not quite at a Kelly level (who is?), but she came pretty darn close, and I believe she could get there with some confidence-boosting mentoring. "I think you should turn that pain into purpose," Katy advised. "You just validated what a hit record is supposed to be," said Lionel. Contestants like Bethany are what Idol is supposed to be all about, too. I'm rooting for her.
Isaiah Case, 21: "What Could I Do"
Isaiah, a worship leader, unsuccessfully auditioned for Idol at age 17. But now, returning to the show as a young father, he was clearly ready — singing like a grown man, not a boy. His passionate, gruff, lived-in vocal actually reminded me of Jelly Roll's. Luke expressed surprise, since worship leaders usually sound "smooth and proper" but Isaiah had "character" and "a lot of meat on that voice." Katy called Isaiah's original song "really cool" and said, "Whatta voice! ... From the first verse, I was in." Lionel added, "That voice can tell a story." I suspect Isaiah has many stories to tell.
Julia Gagnon, 21, "Ain't No Way"
The final audition of Season 22 ended things on a literal high note, as Julia tackled the almighty Aretha and pulled it off with what Luke declared "one of the biggest voices of the year." Lionel raved, "Um, did that come out of your mouth? ... I am in shock! I grew up with Aretha Franklin, and there's certain songs you just don't sing because you can touch the original. And you just made it not only your song, but you did things that's just beyond. That was amazing." Julia, an adoptee from Guatemala, was singing to honor her birth mom, with whom she recently reconnected, and she did her entire family proud. "You've got several soul singers inside of you, not just one. You could go really far. You could be top 10," proclaimed Katy. Julia initially received a Golden Ticket, but that was quickly upgraded to Platinum, which means she'll skip that first round in Hollywood. The downside is we won't get to see much of Julia when Hollywood Week commences next Sunday and Monday... but I have a feeling we'll be seeing plenty of her later.
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