It’s been a long season for American Idol top two finalist Phillip Phillips. Despite having suffered another painful kidney stone attack, the 21-year-old alt-rocker vowed that he will take the stage at the Nokia Theater for Tuesday’s finale.
“Yeah, I’ve been sick the whole show,” said Phillips, who admitted that the ordeal is affecting his singing in a press conference alongside competitor Jessica Sanchez. “I’m doing all right. It’s almost over, so I’m excited.”
Phlllips also revealed he may make a slight wardrobe change for the final competition.
“You might be intrigued,” he teased. “I might be looking a little sexy.”
The day after surviving last Thursday’s top-3 elimination, Phillips was ordered to undergo “immediate surgery,” accoding to the website TMZ.
As was previously reported, the singer refused treatment when he returned to his hometown of Leesburg, Ga., last weekend in order to adhere to the show’s rigorous shooting schedule. And sources inside the production tell The Hollywood Reporter that Phillips has been experiencing pain “so severe” that he’s been granted permission to sit out the weekly high-concept (and physically exhausting) Ford video shoots for several weeks now.
While Phillips has had to put off proper medical treatment, Sanchez has had to forego teenage rites-of-passage — not that she minds.
“Right now people my age are going to prom and getting ready for homecoming… I’m here performing in front of celebrities, singing with celebrities…singing in front of millions of people,” said the 16-year-old Sanchez.
The Chula Vista, Calif. native will perform with original Dreamgirls star Jennifer Holliday on Wednesday night’s finale. Holliday has been tweeting support for the teen all season on the micro-blogging site.
Is Sanchez nervous?
“I’m definitely excited, but I’m also stressed,” she said. “There are songs that we haven’t even gone through yet.”
The American Idol finale begins Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
