'I still can't believe it': B.C. teen shocked by American Idol judges' decision

Seventeen-year-old Tyson Venegas looked on nervously as he waited to learn if he'd made it to American Idol's top 24, after telling the judges he knew his last performance was not his best.

There were high expectations for the high school student from Metro Vancouver, who kicked off the season by earning both a coveted platinum ticket and lavish praise for his performance.

For for a moment Sunday, it seemed like his journey had come to an end.

"We don't think you're destined for the top 24," Katie Perry told the visibly crestfallen teen.

"We actually think it's more like top 10," she added, as the camera captured Venagas' eyes widening in surprise as he broke out into a grin.

Before sitting down to learn his fate, Venegas said he was "really scared," in part because he'd seen some of his newfound friends sent home.

He also noted that his nerves had gotten the better of him during the Showstoppers portion of the competition, which sees contestants perform on stage backed by a full band for the first time.

Venegas chose to sing Lizzo's "Cuz I Love You." After his performance, the judges noted that he'd forgotten some of the lyrics and failed to hit some of the notes.

When he sat down with Perry, Lionel Ritchie and Luke Bryan he explained that he felt a lot of pressure to live up to their expectations.

"I practice the song a lot. And I knew it from the back of my head. But when I went on stage and I sang it, it just wasn't there," Venegas said.

"I was so mad at myself after, like I was so angry," he added.

SO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE I MADE IT TO THE TOP 24! I have met so many amazing friends and artists on this journey and I can't believe it's not over yet! Tune in to @AmericanIdol tomorrow night to find out who gets to join me! #AmericanIdol #Top24 pic.twitter.com/19W2fCXncq

— Tyson Venegas (@tysonvenegas) April 10, 2023

While the judges agreed that his last performance had fallen short, they also encouraged him to take it easy on himself and chalk it up to a learning experience.

"Maybe you can let go of some of that pressure," Perry said.

"That is a part of life. It's how you learn. You're 17, you're so young and you've got so much learning still ahead of you. Don't beat yourself up."

After promising to do better at his next performance, Venegas left the room and ran to hug his mom in celebration and the pair jumped up and down in apparent delight.

"I still can’t believe it," he said.