American idol viewers were stunned on Monday when Ryan Seacrest casually revealed that finalist Wyatt Pike had to step out of the competition. Two days later, the 19-year-old from Utah speaks out on social media about his decision to leave.
“I had to [American Idol] competition for personal reasons, but I am so grateful to be able to play music for the rest of my life, ”Pike wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday. “Fellow participants – miss you all, good luck! Thanks to everyone for your support … stay tuned for more musical stuff soon! ” The post received immediate love from Pike’s fellow contestants, including duet partner Cassandra Coleman.
Pike auditioned for Idol with ‘Best For You’, an original song about his relationship with his sister. “Towards the end of high school, I started to struggle with some anxiety,” he said in his audition package. “It was things my sister had dealt with in the past.”
Watch that performance and get to know Pike a little better in the video below:
As previously reported, the April 26 episode Idol welcomes 10 singers from Season 18, all of whom will compete for a chance to return to the competition.
Then check out Pike’s full Instagram post below leave a comment with your thoughts. Are you rooting for him? And which of the remaining finalists could you see win Season 19?