Beckett McDowell, the son of “A Clockwork Orange” actor Malcolm McDowell, has revealed he is the mysterious contestant who left “American Idol” after making it into the Top 26.
During the April 17 episode of the ABC show, host Ryan Seacrest shared that one singer was no longer involved in the competition.
“Now recently, one of the Top 26 decided to bow out of the competition so we turned to the judges’ first alternate,” Seacrest explained before previously eliminated contestant Paige Anne rejoined the show.
However, “American Idol” did not provide more information about who exited the show or why.
A few hours after the episode aired, Beckett McDowell, a 19-year-old musician from Ojai, California, confirmed on his Instagram story that he was the nameless competitor who dropped out.
“To all of you wondering, yes I was on @americanidol and I made the top 26,” he captioned a photo that showed him holding his golden “American Idol” ticket to Hollywood.
He continued, “I’m not going to say why I didn’t decide to continue in the competition but what I will say is that it was my choice. I am forever grateful to my American idol family and I will always look back at the experience with the utmost gratitude and fondness.”
At the end of his post, he encouraged his followers to vote for and support the remaining Season 21 contestants.
TODAY.com has confirmed that McDowell competed on Season 21 and was selected to be in the Top 26 before he departed the show.
Although the singer made it far into the competition, he was never featured in any of the episodes. According to Entertainment Weekly, none of his performances were aired.
The only time viewers saw a glimpse of McDowell this season was when a group picture of judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan with the Top 26 popped up during the April 17 episode, Entertainment Tonight reported.
McDowell does not seem too discouraged about his journey on “American Idol” coming to an end sooner than expected. In February, he announced the release of his third single, “Wildfire,” on Instagram.
He joins a growing list of contestants who have left the show so far this season. Earlier this month, contestant Sara Beth Liebe dropped out after Perry failed to convince her to stay.
Liebe, a 25-year-old mother of three, said she missed her children and did not feel ready to immerse herself in the music industry.
“I wish my kids were a little bit older. I understand how big of an opportunity this is, and I still kind of want to go home,” Liebe said after speaking with Perry. “I’m sure that when I get home, I’ll regret it. I probably will say, ‘You should have stayed. You should have done it.’”
On April 12, former front-runner Kenedi Anderson, 17, shared a statement on Instagram confirming she left the show as well.
“For personal reasons, I’m unable to continue on 'American Idol,'” she wrote. “This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but I know it’s necessary.”
Anderson added, “I’m so grateful to 'American Idol,' the judges, the producers, the amazing contestants, and all the fans who have supported me. Thank you for giving me such an amazing opportunity to share my voice, chase my dreams, feel so much joy and happiness doing what I love, and make lifelong friends along the way.”