William Hung Says ‘American Idol’ Without Bad Auditions Is a Bad Idea

The American Idol reboot is almost here, and while viewers will likely be pretty familiar with the format, executive producer Trish Kinane shared at ABC’s Television Critics Association press tour on Monday that the show will be doing away with its custom of showcasing contestants’ less-than-stellar auditions.

Not everyone agrees with the decision, however, with former contestant William Hung telling TMZ he thinks doing away with bad auditions isn’t such a great idea.

“I don’t like it,” he said of the show’s new move. “American Idol is known for its unique entertainment value by having those off-the-cuff, funky auditions.”

Hung explained that he feels the poor auditions are what set Idol apart from other singing competition shows like The Voice.

“If you don’t have those bad auditions or something that stands out, if you don’t have something that’s unique, it will be very hard for them to stand out,” he explained.

Idol viewers will likely remember Hung as perhaps the king of bad auditions, as he tried out for the show’s third season in 2004 with a rendition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” that was instantly eviscerated by the judges. He then went on to pursue a career in music that was continuously marked by negative reactions.

At the TCA press tour, Kinane explained that the show still wants to retain its humorous nature without exploiting the contestants.

“You might have noticed in the past few years, we haven’t really majored on people who are really bad, because one of the key things about the show is it shouldn’t feel manipulated or fake because 15 years ago, nobody had ever seen it and it was funny,” Kinane said, via Entertainment Tonight. “Viewers know now, they’ve all watched all these shows in 15 years, and it doesn’t feel comfortable to put borderline unstable people up and laugh at them.”

Photo: FOX