During Monday night’s episode of American Idol, various pairs were brought together for the Hollywood Week Duets Challenge. While multiple duos showcased their vocals, one pair, in particular, found themselves in the midst of a medical emergency. During the frightening ordeal, one of the contestants, Funke Lagoke, fainted while falling flat on her face, prompting emergency personnel and the judges to step in.
Ahead of their duet, Lagoke’s partner, Ronda Felton, told the camera that there was a great deal of “pressure” on the contestants during this stage in the competition. She explained how they needed to learn the song and perfect their duet all in one day. The pressure ended up getting the best of Felton, who became emotional shortly before she and Lagoke were due to perform. Felton said that she didn’t feel as though she deserved to be there. But, Lagoke supported her by saying, “I’ve been there. I know what it feels like to not feel like you’re worthy. The two were ultimately able to keep it together for their performance of Celine Dion’s “Tell Him.” However, things soon took a scary turn.
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After their performance, the judges — Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie — shared some notes for the two contestants. But just as Richie was sharing his thoughts on their rendition, Lagoke began to sway on the stage. She then passed out with her face hitting the floor, prompting shocked responses from Felton and everyone else at the scene. While Perry looked on in shock from her seat on the panel, Richie and Bryan rushed to the stage in order to lend assistance to Lagoke. The medical staff then appeared onstage in order to assist the contestant, who appeared to be going in and out of consciousness. Lagoke was subsequently transported out of the venue via stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital. Viewers later learned that she was treated for dehydration.
As Lagoke was being taken to the hospital, the judges rallied alongside Felton, who was still emotional over the scene. Richie told her, “I know as traumatic as it was. Now, I was about to deliver some news. So, I thought I should deliver it to you. What we were gonna say is both of you deserve to go through.” He continued, “I want you to know, congratulations. I know that was traumatic. But, we’re here for you. We’re family, okay?”
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