TMZ is reporting that American Idol 9 front-runner Crystal Bowersox almost walked away from the show two weeks ago. The way TMZ tells it, host Ryan Seacrest gave her a quick heart-to-heart to keep her on the top-rated reality series.

The scene allegedly happened before witnesses, in the parking lot of the theater where Idol is filmed. One upset Crystal Bowersox reportedly said she hated the attention of being on the show, turning to Seacrest to say “What’s the point?” No kidding what’s the point - Bowersox is so well-loved by judges and fans alike, she’s already easily scored herself a singing career. Sources say that homesickness was to blame for taking Crystal out of her game.

According to those in the know, Ryan Seacrest reminded Crystal of the perks of winning the show, saying “the greatest thing I ever did was make enough money so I could buy my mom a house. You can buy your mom a house.” The magic words kept Crystal in the competition.

It seems like an unbelievable story - doesn’t Idol usually keep their kids on a pretty tight leash? - but usually TMZ reports events pretty accurately. Stay up to date on all the spoilers, gossip and recaps - check out all our American Idol 9 posts.