Five Remain as Ashley Coulter is Eliminated from Canadian Idol

From CTV:

Biggest audience this season watches first-ever “Unplugged” Episode

Top 5 head to Nashville tomorrow to work with country superstar Martina McBride

After performing “Crying” on last night’s performance episode, Ashley Coulter shed tears tonight after being eliminated from Canadian Idol live on CTV. The 23-year-old cashier from Emeryville, ON became the fifth finalist to be eliminated after receiving the fewest votes out of a record 3 million cast following last night’s first-ever “Unplugged” episode. Now, three men and two women remain, representing Saskatchewan, Ottawa-Gatineau, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

Last night, more viewers than ever plugged into the world’s first Idol “Unplugged” episode when a record 2.25 million viewers watched the Top 6 perform live from CTV’s legendary Masonic Temple Concert Hall. Peaking at a whopping 2.6 million, the episode was the most-watched so far this season. Up 11 per cent compared to last week among the key A18-49 demo, Canadian Idol remains the most-watched program currently on Canadian television among all major demos.*

Tonight, backed by the Top 6, special guest Chantal Kreviazuk opened the show with a live performance of her hit song “In This Life.” Later in the show, Kreviazuk presented the world television premiere of her new single “All I Can Do” from her upcoming CD Ghost Stories.

Host Ben Mulroney then revealed the names of the three competitors who had received the fewest votes last night: Coulter, along with Steffi DiDomenicantonio, 17, from Ottawa-Gatineau and Craig Sharpe, 16, from Upper Island Cove, NL. After DiDomenicantonio was spared for the second week in a row, Mulroney announced that Coulter’s Canadian Idol dream had ended and that Sharpe would return to perform again. Saskatchewan’s Tyler Lewis remains the only finalist to never place in the Bottom Three. Coulter closed the show with a reprise of her Monday night performance of Roy Orbison’s “Crying.”

Sharpe returns next week to perform in Canadian Idol‘s first-ever country-themed episode, featuring special guest star Martina McBride. The country superstar will play host to the competitors this week in Nashville, Tennessee, appearing in taped segments on Monday, August 21 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV (check local listings). Then, on Tuesday, August 22 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, McBride performs live from the Canadian Idol stage.

In addition to Sharpe, the remaining finalists are: Eva Avila, 19, Gatineau, QC; Steffi DiDomenicantonio, 17, Ottawa-Gatineau; Chad Doucette, 18, East Chezzetcook, NS; and Tyler Lewis, 20, Rockglen, SK.