Krajcik began uncertainly, with a peculiar gray wood as his backdrop. What was this eerie place? Tim Burton’s back garden? What was this eerie song? Why was Krajcik halting? Oh, Lordy, he had to do double duty as a presenter. For there he was, breaking his song to introduce Alanis Morissette. They then dueted her hit “Uninvited.”

For most of it, Krajcik was a gatecrasher. It was as if he was a mere backup singer allowed a few seconds with the star. It’s a miserable enough song as it is. But this was entirely out of place for a show that’s supposedly to create paroxysms and heart attacks.

“That was surreal,” said L.A. Reid, before deciding that it was great.

“Er, look, we’ve got to judge this. I thought you were a little bit intimidated at the beginning,” said Cowell, with odd accuracy.

More importantly, Krajcik’s grandma and uncle – whooping it up at his old high school in Wooster, Ohio – absolutely loved it.