Iam Tongi won the recent season of "American Idol" and he recently spoke out about the allegations of rigging his victory; what did he think of the public scrutiny?
The 18-year-old musician spoke with Daily Mail UK after there were several online users who protested against his win as they thought it was not fair.
The outlet pointed out that some viewers thought Colin Stough, his competitor, would ultimately win the competition instead of him.
He calmly responded to the allegations, saying there were people who thought he wasn't deserving of the title, adding, "I just love it."
Speaking about the runner-up, Tongi said he loves him and there were no hard feelings between the two. He also revealed that he couldn't wait to hang out with him again to "have fun."
Iam Tongi Already Prepared for Public Scrutiny?
The aspiring musician later revealed that he has been prepared for the backlash long before he decided to join the competition as his late father warned him about the possible reaction from the public if ever he stepped into the limelight.
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"My dad always told me that your music's not meant for everyone. There's going to be people that are not going to like it and that's OK, that's normal," he said. (via Page Six)
The Hawaiian-born singer later noted that the public opinions about him are "fine" because everyone has the right to have their own opinions.
After his win, Tongi has been facing a lot of negative comments on social media, but he decided to deal with them through kindness.
Explaining what he does whenever he sees posts from haters, the singer revealed that he drops a like because he "gotta let those things happen."
Iam Tongi on Katy Perry's Controversies
Aside from Tongi, Katy Perry also faced public backlash this season for the way she judged the contestants.
For the "American Idol" winner's part, he enjoyed interacting with the pop superstar as well as the other judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
The musician added that the support and love that the "Firework" singer gave to the contestants would be missed and he will miss her if she ever decided to leave the judges' panel.
In other reports, sources alleged to the outlet that the pop star felt misrepresented by the show and she's considering to leave after being portrayed as a "nasty judge."
Despite the rumors, Katy Perry has yet to reveal whether she'll return next season or not.
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