Durbin dumped, Haley new ‘worst’

LOS ANGELES—So does this mean he won’t get the promised duet with Steven Tyler for the finale?

James Durbin, this season’s rocker, fought tears of disbelief as he was thrown off “American Idol” on Thursday (Friday in Manila) after viewers chose their Top 3 on the TV singing show.

His departure left country singer Scotty McCreery, 23; pop/country singer Lauren Alaina, 16, and Haley Reinhart, 20, to compete for the title.

<strong>Tic disorder</strong>

“I worked so damn hard and I was hoping to get there,” said a stunned Durbin, 22, tears streaming down his face. “But I did so much stuff that’s never been done on the show. I did what I came here to do, and that was to give metal a chance,” he declared.

Durbin, who suffers from the tic disorder Tourette syndrome and describes himself as a high-functioning autistic, shone on the top-rated show with a series of hard rock performances, often against the advice of in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine.

For all the controversy about audience bias towards male contestants, the final three is now made up of two women and a sole man.

The 2011 “Idol” finale airs May 24 and 25 on Fox (on Star World and GMA News TV in Manila). The winner lands a recording contract.

<strong>Newly crowned</strong>

With Durbin out, Reinhart was crowned Vote for the Worst’s new pick. The anti-“Idol” web site earlier predicted an inevitable “country” showdown between McCreery and Alaina.

VFTW characteristically dismissed “Inspiration” week as “boring and predictable,” but commended guest mentor Lady Gaga for dispensing “hilarious advice.”

Nontheless, VFTW ravaged the performances—there were two rounds—

with relish:

Durbin (“Don’t Stop Believing”): “Pretty bad and off key … Not quite a train wreck … just really bad singing.”

Reinhart (“The Earth Song”): “Basically a chorus of screaming and moaning.”

McCreery (“Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning”): “Country fans will buy anything that has the words America and Jesus in it … might as well crown the kid now.”

Alaina (“Anyway”): “Judge Randy Jackson says nothing was wrong with that performance. Nothing was right with it either.”

Reinhart (“I Who Have Nothing”): “Kind of fun because she’s singing … [as] an underdog.”

McCreery (“Young Blood”): “He does his standard stupid-faced performance where he looks like a raging lunatic. The kid is just terrible.”

Alaina (“Trouble”): “This girl is trying to take a page from Carrie Underwood’s playbook but she has zero sex appeal so it isn’t working.”

Durbin (“Love Potion No. 9”): “Though he gets tons of pimpage, the guy is fading fast. His vocals are getting weaker each week.”