Watch: Carrie Underwood & Jessica Simpson Tease Future at 'American Idol' Finale (Exclusive)American Idol viewers certainly weren't expecting a moment like this. The long-running singing competition experienced quite a curveball on season 24's March 30 episode as host Ryan Seacrest explained they would be delaying that night's eliminations in order to accurately check all the votes. "We have had five ways to vote tonight," Ryan began at the end of the episode. "Tens of millions of votes coming in at a rate we have never seen before. Truly unprecedented.