https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/american-idol-dont-expect-bad-auditions-abc-version-1073131

"It doesn't feel comfortable to put borderline unstable people up on stage and laugh at them," says new Idol showrunner Trish Kinane.

When is American Idol returning for 2018?

The real reason: with Idol not starting until March, it will have two months less of episodes on ABC than it did on FOX.

When is American Idol returning for 2018?Sunday, March 11

To me, it seems like a big mistake. A lot of the allure of the early episodes were those auditions. I've never seen it as exploitation.