Idol Chatter & Voice Views

Where, oh, where did all the American Idol youngsters go?

Two years ago, show producers seemed to fall in love with every 15- or 16-year-old they stumbled across.

When Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina landed in the finale, Ryan Seacrest proudly proclaimed it the youngest final two ever.

Last year, Eben Franckewitz and David Leathers Jr. got tons of airtime leading up to the semifinals. Shannon Magrane and Jessica Sanchez, both 16, made the finals.

This year?

Look down the list of the Top 10. You won’t find a minor among ’em.

Folks, that hasn’t happened since Season 2.

Did Idol tire of searching for the next Justin Bieber?

Did The Voice monopolize all the young talent last fall by featuring the likes of Melanie Martinez, Michaela Paige and Joselyn Rivera?

Or did Idol simply tire of dragging chaperones along on the summer tour?

I’m probably looking for a grand answer when there isn’t one, though there’s no doubt in my mind Idol had been less focused on the youngest contestants in Season 12.

The last under-18s were eliminated Thursday night when Charlie Askew and Adriana Latonio (both 17) failed to make the finals.

But the final 10 still includes four teens — Devin Velez and Amber Holcomb (both 18) and Angela Miller and Burnell Taylor (both 19).

And, with an average age of about 21, it’s far from the oldest Idol cast.

That distinction goes to Season 6, when the average age was nearly 24. The winner that year: 17-year-old Jordin Sparks.

Wondering how the other minors have done on Idol?

Here’s the rundown. The age indicated is the contestants age when the finals began.

Season 1:
A.J. Gill (17), 8th out of 10

Season 2:
No minors (18-year-old Carmen Rasmussen was the youngest contestant)

Season 3:
Leah LaBelle (17), 12th out of 12
John Stevens (16), 6th out of 12
Jasmine Trias (17), 3rd out of 12
Diana DeGarmo (16), 2nd out of 12

Season 4:
Mikala Gordon (17), 4th out of 11

Season 5:
Kevin Covais (16), 11th out of 12
Lisa Tucker (16), 10th out of 12
Paris Bennett (17), 5th out of 12

Season 6:
Sanjaya Malakar (17), 7th out of 12
Jordin Sparks (17), winner

Season 7:
David Archeluta (17), 2nd out of 12

Season 8:
Jasmine Murray (16), 12th or 13th out of 13 (eliminated same night as Jorge Nunez)
Allison Iraheta (16), 4th out of 13

Season 9:
Katie Stevens (17), 8th or 9th out of 13 (eliminated same night as Andrew Garcia)
Aaron Kelly (16), 5th out of 13

Season 10:
Thia Megia (16), 10th or 11th out of 13 (eliminated same night as Naima Adedapo)
Lauren Alaina (16), 2nd out of 13
Scotty McCreery (17), winner

Season 11:
Shannon Magrane (16), 11th out of 13
Jessica Sanchez (16), 2nd out of 13