LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- It was a shocking night on “American Idol” as two competition favorites landed in the bottom 3, but even more dramatic was what happened when the elimination was announced.

Teen darling Thia Megia and bearded soulful crooner Casey Abrams joined former wildcard pick Stefano Langone in the bottom 3, and as the show drew to a close, Ryan Seacrest broke the news that it was Casey who was being booted from “Idol.”

Turns out, that wasn’t the only dramatic moment.

Casey quickly jumped on the mic to sing for the judges’ save, performing “I Don’t Need No Doctor,” the 1960s hit by Ray Charles, no doubt a reference to his own medical ailments that have left him, at times, hospitalized this season.

Before the singer could finish, however, Casey himself looked like he was in need of a medic as he was stopped just a verse into the number by judge Randy Jackson.

“Stop! Stop! Yo, listen,” Randy said. “We know who you are, Casey. We don’t need to hear you sing any more, do we Steven?”

“This is crazy wrong,” Steven Tyler chimed in. “We’ve made a decision here: To keep you on.”

The news he was being saved to sing again next week hit Casey hard as he seemed to lose control of his legs and Ryan Seacrest put his arms around the performer who slumped to his knees and dropped his microphone.

“They’re using the one save for Casey Abrams,” Ryan said as Casey responded with an expletive.

“You OK, buddy?” Ryan asked.

Torn between tears and utter shock, the news finally began to sink in. Casey rushed over to the judges’ table and smiled, uttering, “I can’t believe it!” as the crowd chanted his name.

FOX silenced out a few more expletives from the singer, who couldn’t control his words as he took hold of the news before finally addressing the crowd.

“I knew that if there was someone who got cut tonight, I thought that they wouldn’t use the save… ‘cause there’s 11 people,” he said. “Oh my God, it’s unreal! I started singing, and the fact that you cut it, it scared the stuff out of me.”

The big news didn’t end there. Ryan revealed that although two “Idol” contenders will be cut next week, the tour group will actually be made up of the Top 11 instead of a Top 10.

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