'American Idol' Fans Are Upset After Ryan Seacrest Announced Wyatt Pike Is No Longer Competing

As the top 16 were narrowed down to just 12 on Monday night's American Idol episode, Ryan Seacrest made a *shocking* announcement: despite making it to the top 12, he shared that fan favorite Wyatt Pike will no longer be on the show.

"Before we get to the results, I have to tell you that finalist Wyatt Pike will not be competing in the competition," Ryan told viewers at home. "He had to drop out, but we wish him the very best."

The news came as a BIG surprise to everyone, especially since he had just made it to the top 16 one night prior to the announcement. On social media, fans immediately began asking a lot of questions about Wyatt's unexpected departure.

So why did Wyatt leave American Idol?

After trying to get a more concrete explanation from ABC, a rep from American Idol simply told People that "Wyatt could not continue due to personal reasons."

Though his exit seemed really sudden, Sunday night's episode was pre-taped, which means judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie likely knew Wyatt was out well before Ryan shared the news on Monday's first live show. Looking at Wyatt's social media posts, it appears he left the competition sometime in early April. On April 4, Wyatt was still asking fans to vote for him. But late last week, he posted an Instagram from his hometown of Park City, Utah.

"Something to feel this through: home. Thankful for the rollercoaster I’m on today. 💙," he wrote alongside two photos.

Regardless of his exit, Wyatt's fans want him to know that they are still rooting for him and his career. "Whatever you have going on, best of luck brother truly an incredible talent you are," one fan wrote on Instagram. "It doesn’t matter I will still follow you and I’m buying a ticket to your first show," another said.

If we hear anything else about Wyatt's departure, we will be sure to update this post with the latest information.

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