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Who Dropped Out of American Idol’s Top 26? A Celebrity’s Son Was Mysteriously Edited Out of This Season
Tuesday, April 18th, 2023
If you watched Hawaii Week, you may be wondering who dropped out of American Idol‘s Top 26 and who Paige Anne replaced on Season 21 after another contestant mysteriously left.
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American Idol premiered on FOX in 2002 as a reality TV singing competition with original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson and hosts Ryan Seacrest and Brian Dunkleman, who left after the first season. The show ran for 15 seasons on FOX before it was cancelled in 2016. Two years later, the show was rebooted by ABC, with Seacrest returning as the host and Katy Perry, Luke Bryant and Lionel Richie joining as judges.
Since then, American Idol has been going strong, but as viewers know, no season of Idol is complete without some drama. So who dropped out of American Idol‘s top 26 and who did Paige Anne replace? Read on for what we know about what happened on American Idol Season 21.
Who dropped out of American Idol‘s top 26? and who did Paige Anne replace on Season 21?
Who dropped out of American Idol‘s top 26 and who did Paige Anne replace on Season 21? During Season 21, Episode 12 — which was second part of the top 26’s performances at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii — host Ryan Seacrest announced that a contestant had dropped out of American Idol Season 21’s Top 26 and would be replaced by Paige Anne, another contestant who was previously eliminated at the end of Hollywood Week. “Recently one of the top 26 decided to bow out of the competition, so we turned to the judges’ first alternate and gave her the life-changing news,” Seacrest said.
In an interview with mentor Noah Cyrus, Paige explained how she came back to the competition. “Actually during the final judgement, I got eliminated. I said goodbye to Idol and everything. Then I got invited back,” she said. “Everything happens for a reason.”
So who dropped out of American Idol‘s Top 26 and who did Paige Anne replace? The contestant was Beckett Rex — a 19-year-old singer from Ojai, California, and the son of actor Malcolm McDowell — who was seemingly edited out of Season 21 after he dropped out of the Top 26, according Meaww, which reported that ABC didn’t air any footage of his performances, including his audition. Beckett, however, was seen in the back of a photo in Hawaii with judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan and other contestants, which seemed to confirm that he made it to the top 26.
Why did Beckett Rex leave American Idol?
Why did Beckett Rex leave American Idol Season 21? In a post on his Instagram Story after Episode 12, Beckett confirmed that he was the contestant who dropped out of American Idol Season 21, though he declined to reveal the reason for why he left the competition. “To all of you wondering, yes I was on @americanidol and I made the top 26. 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,” Beckett wrote over a photo of him holding his golden ticket to Hollywood Week. “I am forever grateful to my American idol family and I will always look back at the experience with the utmost gratitude and fondness. Please go vote for my friends now as they continue on in the competition.”
Beckett’s confirmation came after many of his followers took to his Instagram comment with questions as to why he was no longer on American Idol. “What happened. I was looking forward to hearing you in Hawaii,” Instagram user @remcafeecharbach commented on a post in April 2023. Instagram user @terearaglin also wrote, “Why did you quit.” Instagram user @colinvanblaricomnew commented, “Did you drop out of AI?”
Since leaving American Idol Season 21, Beckett has also released his own original music. He released his third single, “Wildfire,” featuring singer Pierre Bouvier in February 2023. “HELLO EVERYONE! I’m so very excited to announce I’m releasing my third single, ‘WILDFIRE’ on February 10th. @pierrebouvier and I worked incredibly hard on all of these songs and we are both insanely proud of the hard work we put in on them,” he captioned an Instagram post at the time of the single’s cover.
In the song, Beckett sings about a burning love that’s comparable to a “wildfire.” “Oh you got me going like a wildfire / I’m in the flames and I’m burning higher / I can’t explain this strange desire / It’s out of control / There’s no point trying to run away I feel the heat going down in a blaze / Good lord I hope I can take / Your wildfire,” he sings.
American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
For more on primetime shows, check out our photo gallery on the best nighttime soaps ranked.
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<p><strong>Why We Love It:</strong> Taylor Sheridan’s Paramount Network Western pulls no punches, and neither do any of the members of the rough-and-tumble Dutton family. Well, maybe Jamie. (But he’s adopted.) <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> The outta-control Season 4 finale that gunned down John, took aim at Kayce and blew up Beth. Or <em>tried</em> to, anyway. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> As of Season 5, Sheridan has written or co-written every episode of the series, which has thus far spawned two prequels, <em>1883</em> and <em>1932</em>.</p>
Image: NBC/Courtesy Everett of the Collection
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> As much as we may hate actually going to see the doctor, we can’t get enough of medical dramas set in hospitals. Plus, this long-running NBC series featured George Clooney, whose Dr. Doug Ross was the original McDreamy. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> The Season 2 episode in which Ross saved a child trapped in a storm drain left us breathless and helped propel Clooney to superstardom. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> The series was created by Michael Crichton. Yes, the same man who gave us <em>Jurassic Park. </em></p>
Image: OWN/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> There was no “there” to which Tyler Perry’s OWN soap wouldn’t go. Yet neither Jeffrey Harrington stabbing his homophobic Mommie Dearest in the breast implant nor Veronica Harrington setting her estranged husband on fire is <strong>What We’ll Never Forget:</strong> That would be Crystal R. Fox’s fierce portrayal of long-suffering Hanna Young. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> In 2022, Tika Sumpter, who played Candace Young, tied the knot with co-star Nicholas James, aka off-kilter Officer Justin Lewis.</p>
Image: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> Over the course of its 2016-22 run, the creators of the NBC series proved master manipulators where our emotional well-being was concerned. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> The unbreakable bond between the Big Three — the Pearson siblings. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> So upset were fans upon learning that a slow cooker was the cause of Jack Pearson’s death that the makers of the responsible appliance posted a Facebook message addressing the incident. “We love [Jack], and we love you, too. Don’t further add to our heartbreak by no longer using Crock-Pot Slow Cookers.” </p>
Image: Getty Images
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<p><strong>Why We Love It:</strong> Unlike its American brethren, the British sudser makes a big deal of the “little people.” In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a “have” amongst the “have-nots” who populate Albert Square and hang at its beloved Queen Vic pub. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> The 2008 tearjerker in which Dot Cotton recorded an episode-long farewell monologue to former hubby Jim. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> For 28 years running, June Brown’s Dot wore the same dress on Christmas Day. </p>
Image: Aaron Spelling Productions/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> In a way, we grew up with the characters on Aaron Spelling’s 1990-2000 Fox hit, which originated as the fish-out-of-water story of sheltered Minnesota twins transferred to schmancy West Beverly High. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> The heated debates that erupted over Season 3’s Brenda/Dylan/Kelly triangle. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> Since the network wasn’t initially as sold on Luke Perry or the character of Dylan McKay as Spelling was, the EP at first paid the future teen idol’s salary himself.</p>
Image: Fox Image Collection/Getty Images
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> While we could wax poetic about the shocking plot twists which befell the Lyon family as they fought for control of their hip-hop dynasty, the truth is, what we <em>really</em> loved was Taraji P. Henson’s trash-talking Cookie. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> Sadly, the show will likely be most remembered for star Jussie Smollett staging a fake attack against himself. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> Henson darn near got a spinoff focused on her character, but that Cookie crumbled before the proposed show could launch.</p>
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<p><strong>Why We Love It:</strong> Nineteen seasons in, Shonda Rhimes’ medical drama never forgets that sometimes all it takes to get a <span style="text-decoration: line-through">patient</span> series off life support is a transfusion of fresh blood. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> Season 5’s finale, which kept us waiting till the last second to learn whether Izzie Stevens or George O’Malley died. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> Original cast member Ellen Pompeo was TV’s highest-paid actress — to the tune of $20M/year — when she stepped away from her role of Meredith Grey in 2022.</p>
Image: Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> The suburbs-set 2004-12 series beautifully combined slapstick comedy with dark drama while chronicling the lives of Wisteria Lane’s residents… as seen through the eyes of a dead neighbor! <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> Early in Season 1, Gabrielle Solis mowed her lawn in a full-length evening gown to prevent her hubby from finding out their hunky young gardener had been too busy tending to her needs to do the chore himself. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> Said gardener was played by none other than a post-<em>Passions</em>, pre-<em>Chesapeake Shores</em> Jesse Metcalfe.</p>
Image: Fox/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> After Aaron Spelling spiked his <em>Beverly Hills, 90210</em> spinoff with <em>Dynasty</em> vet Heather Locklear as Amanda Woodward, it went from plain and boring to wild and crazy. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> The Season 2 scene in which a back-from-the-dead Kimberly Shaw ripped off her wig to reveal her scarred head. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> Years after the show ended, Locklear dated and even got engaged to former leading man Jack Wagner, who’d played her love/hate interest, Dr. Peter Burns.</p>
Image: Aaron Spelling Prods./Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> ABC’s answer to <em>Dallas</em> was heavy on the glitz and glamour and even heavier on the catfights and spectacles. (Moldavian massacre, anyone?) <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> Joan Collins’ Season 2 debut as Blake Carrington’s ex, Alexis, who elevated bitchcraft to an art form and moved the series out of Dullsville. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> The role of the scheme queen was originally supposed to go to Sophia Loren. Elizabeth Taylor and Jessica Walter were also pursued, Collins told <em>W</em> in 2018. </p>
Image: ABC/Getty Images
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<p><strong>Why We Loved It:</strong> Based on Grace Metalious’ novel, ABC’s 1964-69 serial about a small town with big secrets was so addictive that at one point, three new episodes aired every week. <strong>We’ll Never Forget:</strong> Lee Grant’s stunning turn as the sublimely cynical Stella Chernak. <strong>Fun Fact:</strong> The exit of rising star Mia Farrow in 1966 not only killed the popular Allison/Rodney/Betty triangle with Ryan O’Neal and Barbara Parkins’ characters, it began the series’ slide toward the primetime graveyard.</p>
Image: CBS/Getty Images
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