<P> Season six began on Tuesday, January 16, 2007 . The premiere drew a massive audience of 37.3 million viewers, peaking in the last half hour with more than 41 million viewers . </P> <P> Teenager Sanjaya Malakar was the season's most talked - about contestant for his unusual hairdo, and for managing to survive elimination for many weeks due in part to the weblog Vote for the Worst and satellite radio personality Howard Stern, who both encouraged fans to vote for him . However, on April 18, Sanjaya was voted off . </P> <P> This season saw the first Idol Gives Back telethon - inspired event, which raised more than $76 million in corporate and viewer donations . No contestant was eliminated that week, but two (Phil Stacey and Chris Richardson) were eliminated the next . </P> <P> In the May 23 season finale, Jordin Sparks was declared the winner with the runner - up being Blake Lewis . Sparks has had some success as a recording artist post-Idol . </P>

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