'American Idol': Wyatt Pike Breaks His Silence Following Sudden Exit
After American Idol contestant Wyatt Pike dropped out of the competition after making it into the [...]
After American Idol contestant Wyatt Pike dropped out of the competition after making it into the Top 16, fans have been dying to know why. Details regarding his exit were scarce, but Pike is now speaking out. During Monday's episode, host Ryan Seacrest announced the news on the broadcast, but he did not reveal any details about Pike's sudden departure. As Deadline noted, Pike has since spoken out about the reason behind his American Idol exit.
According to Pike, he exited American Idol because of a personal matter. While he left the competition, he did note that fans can stay tuned for his next projects, as he still hopes to pursue a career in the music industry. "I had to leave the @AmericanIdol competition for personal reasons but am so thankful I get to play music for the rest of my life," Pike wrote. "Fellow contestants - miss you all, good luck! Thank you to everyone for your support… do stick around for more musical things soon!"
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During the episode, Seacrest told viewers, "I have to tell you that finalist Wyatt Pike will not be competing in the competition. He had to drop out. But we wish him the very best." Of course, since he did not offer much in the way of an explanation, fans were left to speculate about why Pike exited the competition.
Pike wasn't the only one who was missing from Monday night's American Idol broadcast, as Luke Bryan was forced to take a step back from the judges' panel after testing positive for COVID-19. He announced the news on both his Twitter and Instagram, writing, "I'm sad to say I won't be a part of tonight's first live American Idol show. I tested positive for COVID but I'm doing well and look forward to being back at it soon."
The show tapped Paula Abdul, one of the original American Idol judges, to fill in for him. On Twitter, the show's official account expressed excitement over the fact that Abdul would be joining Katy Perry and Lionel Richie on the judges' panel for the time being. They wrote, "We're so excited to announce @paulaabdul will be stepping in as a guest judge to join Lionel Richie and Katy Perry as we get closer to crowning a new winner!" American Idol airs on Sunday and Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. To catch up on all of the action, you can check out FuboTV or Hulu Live TV.