Beckett Rex, son of film star Malcolm McDowell, is the American Idol contestant who's left the series despite making the Top 26.
Host Ryan Seacrest vaguely referenced the situation on Monday's (April 17) episode while explaining why the previously-eliminated Paige Ann had rejoined the fold.
"Now recently, one of the Top 26 decided to bow out of the competition so we turned to the judges' first alternate," Seacrest said.
That same night, Rex confirmed via an Instagram story that he'd voluntarily stepped away from the show.
"To all of you wondering, yes I was on [American Idol] and I made the Top 26," he wrote. "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. I am forever grateful to my American idol family and I will always look back at the experience with the utmost gratitude and fondness."
Despite making it this far into the current season, no clips of Rex's Top 26-worthy performances have aired. He's only been shown once: in a group photo of the judges with the Top 26 contestants that was shown Monday.
Nineteen-year-old Rex is the oldest of McDowell's three teenage children with wife Kelly Kuhr. McDowell also has two adult children: Sons of Anarchy's Lily McDowell and film director Charlie McDowell. The elder McDowell is a British actor, known for his roles in A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Caligula (1979).
Rex is the third contestant to leave the series despite landing a golden ticket to Hollywood. Sarah Beth Liebe quit to spend more time with her young children, while Kaya Stewart, the daughter of Eurythmics rocker Dave Stewart, left after a sickness kept her from performing with duet partner Fire Wilmore.
