Jennifer Lopez sobs as James Durbin is kicked off American Idol... making Scotty, Lauren and Haley the final three

The departure of the rocker leaves 17-year-old country singer Scotty McCreery, pop/country singer Lauren Alaina, 16, and Haley Reinhart, 20, to compete for a place in the finale.

I don't believe it: Jennifer Lopez sobs as she hears James Durbin has missed out on a place in the American Idol final three

Durbin, 22, who was widely seen as a sure bet for going all the way to the finals, got the least number of votes despite universal praise from the judges during the week of inspirational songs.

His shock departure left 17-year-old country singer Scotty McCreery, pop/country singer Lauren Alaina, 16, and Haley Reinhart, 20, to compete for a place in the finale.

'But I did so much stuff that's never been done on the show,' he declared. 'I did what I came here to do, and that was to give metal a chance.'

'I worked so damn hard': James Durbin didn't quite believe the news

Durbin, who suffers from Tourette syndrome and describes himself as a high-functioning autistic, made a name for himself on the top-rated show with a series of hard rock performances, often against the advice of in-house mentor Jimmy Iovine.