Wednesday's episode, the last phase of the competition on 'American Idol' before the semi-finals, saw 54-hopefuls face their final judgement, with 36 of them short-listed to participate in the semi-finals.

The semi-finalists include a sobbing Tatiana Del Toro, 23, over-the-top comedian Nick Mitchell, graduate student Anoop Desai, piano playing Matt Giraud, Lil Rounds, the mother-of-three, Adam Lambert, who happens to be a theatre actor, Michael Sarver, who works on an oil rig, welder Matt Breitzke, blind pianist Scott MacIntyre and Joanna Pacitti, with a 2006 album release on Geffen Records, Von Smith, funny shy guy Alex Wagner-Trugman, tall teen Taylor Vaifanua, Jasmine Murray, Arianna Afsar, Casey Carlson, Megan Corkrey, Mishavonna Henson, Stevie Wright, Kendall Beard, Kristen McNamara, Alexis Grace, Jessica Langseth, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey, Ricky Braddy, Junot Jyner, Matt Giraud, Jorge Nunez, Brent Keith, Stephen Fowler, Jackie Tohn, Nathaniel Mitchell, Jeanine Vailes, Kai Kalama, Anne Marie Boskovich, Kris Allen, Matt Breitzke.

The Top 36 crowding together congratulate each other, with the first 12 in the group scheduled to perform next week. The first 12 include: Casey Carlson, Stephen Fowler, Jackie Tohn, Ricky Braddy, Anne Marie Boskovich, Brent Keith, Alexis Grace, Michael Sarver, Stevie Wright, Danny Gokey, Tatiana Del Toro, Anoop Desai.

Of these, the one with the most votes automatically makes it to the Top 12, including the next one with the highest votes, making it back in, to the Wild Card round.

Thankfully, that's it for the first part of the 'American Idol' season.