Canadian Idol Update: The First Cut Is The Deepest

Now that the top 22 Canadian Idol contestants have officially won the hearts of the nation, let's get rid of a bunch of them.

The first live results show of the season on Wednesday evening was incredibly high on tension and emotion, which is a testament to the talent and likeability of this year's crop of hopefuls. Things kicked off with a performance recap, highlighting the best moments from the previous night. It was sort of like handing out high fives before an execution.

Four contenders were to be eliminated: two male, two female. The four male singers who received the fewest votes were Derek Hoffman, Clifton Murray, Justyn Wesley and my fake boyfriend, Andrew Austin. Their hang-doggy expressions were tough for this sensitive reporter to take. I was very sad for them and their moms.

The four boys were then made to sit on uncomfortable-looking stools while the female eliminations took place. Holy unfair! Wasn't the suspense and psychological torture enough?

The four women who received the fewest votes were Mila Miller, Naomi-Joy Blackhall, Maud Coussa-Jandl and Christine Hanlon. When asked who they thought was safe and who was going home, the judges were pretty good at predicting the eventual outcome.

"It doesn't make me happy to say this... Christine and Maud are going home," said Zack Werner.

"Naomi and Mila are staying," agreed Farley Flex.

"If I was voting I would probably say Justin would be going home and Andrew would be going home," predicted Sass Jordan.

"I think Andrew and Derek, I would like to stay," said Jake Gold.

We learned that Blackhall and resident heartthrob Murray are both safe for another week. No big surprises there. Murray is likely to coast a good long while on his pretty frat boy looks, and Blackhall sang a Whitesnake number, for crying out loud. It just wasn't her time.

After another pesky commercial break, it was revealed that Austin is safe and that Wesley and Hoffman are headed home.

"I'm kind of disappointed, but I guess this is not what Canada's looking for," said Wesley.

As for the girls, Miller was declared safe — and rightfully so. There's absolutely no reason that this burgeoning soul siren was one of the bottom four after her stunning performance on Tuesday night.

Coussa-Jandl and Hanlon graciously accepted their fates.

"I don't regret anything," said Hanlon. "I performed it to the best of my ability and I'm grateful for the friends I have made."

The judges had some solid advice for the remaining hopefuls.

"The business is built on extremes," said Werner. "The people that are still here are here for a reason... they represented something. You must take a risk and stand out. People played it too conservative and thus, sayonara."

"You've got to stand out," agreed Gold. "Amy Winehouse, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani.

"If you look at anybody who's really successful in this competition, there is nobody else like them. Uniqueness wins."