Joanna Pacitti disqualified: American Idol disqualifies Joanna Pacitti

Hours after the 2009 America Idol season 8 top 36 were announced, Joanna Pacitti was disqualified from the competition. FOX made the announcement but gave no specific reason for the disqualification of one of this year's favorites for the title. Joanna Pacitti's name always comes up in articles predicting this year's winner and the disqualification will be disappointing to her followers. One the other hand, many viewers of American Idol 8 will call it justice. The show has reportedly received a lot of complaints ever since Pacitti received a golden ticket in the auditions for they question her eligibility in the competition. Joanna Pacitti has enjoyed a long musical career ever since landing the title role

of Annie in the musical's off-Broadway revival when she was 12. Though she never made to to Broadway, she has reportedly made close a hundred performances as the precocious tyke. She has also landed a recording contract with A&M Records and her vocal has appeared in several soundtracks to big screen movies. Thus, her amateur status for American Idol has continually been questioned.

We can only speculate that this is the reason behind her disqualification as FOX didn't give out any. "It has been determined that Joanna Pacitti is ineligible to continue in the competition." Wikipedia has also confirmed Joanna Pacitti's American Idol 8 disqualification with the following entry on the hopeful:

Pacitti auditioned for season 8 of American Idol in Louisville, Kentucky, in an episode which aired on 21 January 2009. She passed the audition into the Hollywood round. Pacitti's past accomplishment have stirred debate about whether American Idol contestants should be strictly amateur performers. Even though the program showed her getting into the top 36, she was eventually disqualified for unknown reasons.

Earlier in the season, new American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi defended Joanna pacitti's inclusion in the contest with this statement, "I do think it's fair because she's facing the same challenges and in some ways more challenges than some of the other contestants." However, producers must have realized that having had that experience is a distinct advantage for Pacitti and decided to kick her out. With the 2009 American Idol 8 top 36 list now missing one aspirant, will the judges fill that void? Or will they go on with the competition with just a top 35? Let's wait and see.