Worst 'American Idol' Finalists Ever -- #10: Haley Scarnato

We're teaming with Vote for the Worst to name the 12 worst 'American Idol' finalists ever. Check back next week to see their pick for number 9.

Name: Haley Scarnato
Season: 6
Worst Performance: 'Turn the Beat Around'
Why We Loved to Hate Her: It's hard to know where to start with season 6 finalist Haley Scarnato, but it is easy to name the point at which her 'American Idol' journey should have ended: at the very beginning.

Like so many 'Idol' contestants before her, the hilariously clueless 24-year-old from San Antonio, Texas thought her voice was bigger than it actually was, which resulted in three botched performances during the semifinals. Performing songs by divas Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Faith Hill, Haley quickly turned 'American Idol' from a search to find the next recording artist to a search for the next pageant queen.We're teaming with Vote for the Worst to name the 12 worst 'American Idol' finalists ever. Check back next week to see their pick for number 9.

Name: Haley Scarnato
Season: 6
Worst Performance: 'Turn the Beat Around'
Why We Loved to Hate Her: It's hard to know where to start with season 6 finalist Haley Scarnato, but it is easy to name the point at which her 'American Idol' journey should have ended: at the very beginning.

Like so many 'Idol' contestants before her, the hilariously clueless 24-year-old from San Antonio, Texas thought her voice was bigger than it actually was, which resulted in three botched performances during the semifinals. Performing songs by divas Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Faith Hill, Haley quickly turned 'American Idol' from a search to find the next recording artist to a search for the next pageant queen.


But in a season that also included Chris Sligh, Chris Richardson, Brandon Rogers and Sanjaya Malakar, it was the American public that ultimately proved to be hilariously clueless. Despite performing way outside of her vocal register, Haley sailed through to the top 12, thus beginning five weeks of flubbed lyrics (Diana Ross' 'Missing You'), more screeching and, in one specific case, a pair of very, very short shorts.


I'm speaking, of course, about one of the biggest disaster nights in 'American Idol' history: Latin Week, with guest mentor Jennifer Lopez. That night, Haley chose to sing Gloria Estefan's 'Turn the Beat Around' -- not the worst song choice ever, considering it did pretty OK for Diana DeGarmo in season 3.


But for whatever reason, Haley's version was less latin spice and more disco trainwreck, complete with a strobe light and, yes, those infamous short shorts. Her performance represented all that was wrong about Haley Scarnato up until that point and, just as Paige Miles did last week with 'Against All Odds,' it brought the show to a screeching halt. When it was over, Haley was doomed. Not even Sanjaya was going to go home that night.

And when you find yourself singing worse than Sanjaya, well, that pretty much says it all.