Katharine McPhee’s Troubles

By: Shannon Gossage

McPhee has faced numerous troubles since the show wrapped and the finalists went on the American Idols Live tour. McPhee was sidelined from the tour for the first three weeks due to a bout of bronchitis and laryngitis. Doctors put her on "total voice rest" and she was unable to perform or even speak. McPhee was set to join the tour on July 27 in Pittsburgh but her flight was cancelled due to inclement weather. She instead joined the other "idols" in Washington D.C.on July 28 to meet President George W. Bush and then she made her Idols Live debut although she did not participate in any of the group numbers, claiming doctor’s orders.

Just a few days after joining the tour, McPhee tripped backstage before a concert in North Carolina. Turns out she fractured her foot, but she was able to perform her two solos wearing slippers. According to her rep she will finish out the tour, which ends on September 24, despite having some "discomfort." No word on whether she will ever be able to participate in any of the group songs while on tour.

McPhee’s absence from the Idols tour sparked a lot of speculation that she felt she was "too good" for the tour. There were also rumors that she was battling bulimia again. She recently came forward with the fact that she battled with bulimia for five years and likened the experience to "putting a sledgehammer to your vocal chords." Some camps believed that McPhee was battling the disease again and had caused irreparable damage to her vocal chords. McPhee recently spoke out about the rumors saying, "People speculated that I was making a movie, and that I was better than American Idol. I am so grateful for what American Idol did for me. And I miss those people on tour. People thought the bulimia was the reason I was set back, but it’s just not true. I just got sick and I was overworked."