EARLY DEPARTURE
American Idol: Have other contestants quit the reality show in the past?
AMERICAN Idol has seen many winners since first premiering in 2002.
As the competition tightens, many contestants choose to drop out for different reasons before the finale, leaving the judges to decide who will take their spot.
3
Have other contestants quit American Idol in the past?
Several contestants from previous seasons of American Idol have suddenly dropped from the competition.
Contestants like Mario Vazquez from season four and and have had their spots filled with contestants on the brink of elimination.
In addition, the show has had a few scandals involving the voting process, results, bias, and recording contracts which have complicated the competition.
During season two of the show, it was made known that an alleged scam based in Salt Lake City, Utah was tricking callers into believing that viewers could vote for their favorites through an 800 number, rather than the 866 number used on the show.
3
Season 12’s elimination of Angie Miller caused a stir on the show as she was a fan favorite and would often rank high in the voting process.
Many viewers branded her elimination as “shocking” considering how well she did in previous performances.
What did judges say about Wyatt Pike’s self-elimination?
On the episode that aired on April 12, 2021 for season 19, Pike performed his emotional rendition of Use Somebody by Kings of Leon.
Before his premature exit, judge Katy Perry praised Pike's potential, claiming: "I think you do have a little bit of an angle in this competition that you're an authentic singer-songwriter."
Music icon and fellow judge Lionel Richie told Pike he was "on way to something big."
3
Pike had begun to amass a large following from Idol, and fans were left wondering what prompted his early departure from the show.
He shared an Instagram post of his hometown of Park City, Utah after leaving Idol and wrote a cryptic caption saying: "Something to feel this through: home. Thankful for the rollercoaster I'm on today."
When is American Idol on and how can I watch?
You can tune into the competition on ABC Sunday and Monday nights at 8pm.
MORE ON AMERICAN IDOL
Episodes are also available to stream on or the ABC app with a TV service provider.
ABC programming can also be viewed on Hulu with a subscription.
The show is also available on YouTube TV.
Mario Vazquez quits American Idol season four
Topics