Yahoo Finance Wyatt Pike Speaks Out After Exiting American Idol Competition
American Idol contestant Wyatt Pike is speaking out about his exit from the show.
Two days after the news broke that he would be dropping out of the competition, Pike shared a statement on Instagram explaining his exit.
"I had to leave the @AmericanIdol competition for personal reasons but am so thankful I get to play music for the rest of my life," Pike, 20, wrote in the caption of the post, echoing some previous feedback from judge Luke Bryan.
Pike went on to wish his competitors well: "Fellow contestants - miss you all, good luck! Thank you to everyone for your support… do stick around for more musical things soon! 💙"
Host Ryan Seacrest shared on Monday's episode that Pike was dropping out of the competition. He had just advanced into the season's top 12 competitors.
"Before we get to the results, I have to tell you that finalist Wyatt Pike will not be competing in the competition. He had to drop out, but we wish him the very best," Seacrest, 46, said.
RELATED: Wyatt Pike Drops Out of American Idol After Making It into the Season's Top 12
A rep for American Idol told PEOPLE on Monday that "Wyatt could not continue due to personal reasons." An Instagram post of Pike's from last week showed that he was at home in Park City, Utah.
In his last appearance on the long-running singing competition series, Pike sang a cover of "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon, which garnered praise from the judges.
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"I think you do have a little bit of an angle in this competition that you're an authentic singer-songwriter," Katy Perry told him. "I think whatever happens, you're it."
Eric McCandless via Getty Wyatt Pike
"I remember one of the coolest things ever happened to me is the day I realized that I get to do music forever, under any circumstance," Bryan, 44, said. "I'm telling you, Wyatt, you are going to be able to do music for the rest of your life."
"You have a style on stage that we like to watch," Lionel Richie added. "And to watch you take that song and make it your song, you're on your way to something big, my friend."
