TV

The Top 26 was revealed on 'American Idol' Season 21, but viewers only saw 25 artists receive the good news. Fans think they've figured out who was missing and possibly dropped out.

Published on April 10, 2023

It’s official: The Top 24 artists on American Idol Season 21 have been confirmed. Well, actually, it’s the Top 26 — in a surprise twist, the judges decided to send Matt Wilson and Colin Stough as two additional contestants in the next round. Many fans were thrilled by the news, but they also noticed something a bit confusing: Only 25 artists were shown on TV during the Showstoppers/Final Judgments. Either American Idol had its math wrong, or a mystery contestant has taken the final spot in the Top 26. Luckily, fans think they’ve figured out who it was — and they think that person dropped out.

[Spoiler alert: The following story contains spoilers for American Idol Season 21’s Top 26.]

‘American Idol’ 2023 revealed the Top 26 during the Showstoppers/Final Judgments

Over the course of two nights (April 9 and April 10), American Idol eliminated more than half of the competition to narrow it down to 26 people. Fan favorites like Fire Wilmore, Adin Boyer, and Trey Louis went home. Others, like PJAE and Malik Heard, participated in impromptu sing-offs to determine which one — or both of them — would move forward. Here are the contestants going to Hawaii in next week’s episodes:

• Elise Kristine
• Emma Busse
• Hannah Nicolaisen
• Haven Madison
• Lucy Love
• Kaeyra
• Mariah Faith
• Marybeth Byrd
• Megan Danielle
• Nailyah Serenity
• Nutsa
• Olivia Soli
• Wé Ani
• Colin Stough
• Dawson Wayne
• Elijah McCormick
• Malik Heard
• Matt Wilson
• Michael Williams
• Oliver Steele
• PJAE
• Tyson Venegas
• Warren Peay
• Iam Tongi
• Zachariah Smith

Of course, that’s only 25 names in total. Some American Idol fans believe there is one singer we haven’t seen all season who filled the final spot in the Top 26.

Fans believe one Top 26 artist wasn’t shown on ‘American Idol’

In a post-episode discussion on Reddit, some viewers expressed confusion over the missing contestant.

“Who’s the 26th? They only showed 25,” one person wrote.

Eagle-eyed fans noticed an unfamiliar red-headed artist among the Top 26 as they celebrated their advancement. According to Reddit users, this person appeared to be Beckett McDowell, a 19-year-old singer from California. Neither his audition nor his Hollywood Week performances were televised.

According to Idol Chatter, Beckett is the son of actor Malcolm McDowell, known for his role in A Clockwork Orange (1971). Beckett has been singing and performing since a young age, and he has already released some original music.

It’s not clear yet why Beckett was never shown on American Idol until this point. Some fans on the Reddit thread theorized that he dropped out of the competition.

“I wonder if he was the one who was booted from the group or if he left the competition. I say he left which is why he didn’t get any airtime and they didn’t want someone to be a big fan and then another Benson or Kenedi situation happened,” one fan wrote, referring to Idol favorites who quit in previous seasons.

Interestingly, spoilers for the Top 26 listed Paige Anne as one of the contestants, but she was eliminated during the April 10 episode. So, some fans believe she could replace Beckett next week.

The Top 26 is heading to Hawaii

Whatever the situation may be, fans will see 26 artists perform in Hawaii next week. The two-night event (Sunday, April 16, and Monday, April 17) will feature the Top 26 singing at the Aulani Disney Resort & Spa. Allen Stone and Noah Cyrus are also rumored to be mentoring the contestants. This time, fans will get to decide who moves on in the competition as live voting opens up.

New episodes of American Idol air on Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is also available on Hulu.

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