Who is Beckett McDowell? Meet the third American Idol season 21 contestant who quit the competition

Season 21 of American Idol has been full of surprises. 19-year-old Ojai, California, native Beckett McDowell recently quit the reality show after reaching the Top 26. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest announced a contestant's departure on the latest episode of the ABC competition series, which aired on Monday, April 17.

He did not reveal the identity of the individual who chose not to go ahead in the competition and said:

“Now recently, one of the top 26 decided to bow out of the competition so we turned to the judges’ first alternate and gave her the life-changing news.”

Following this, Seacrest reintroduced 16-year-old Paige Anne, who had been eliminated earlier in the competition.

The confirmation about the contestant who quit the show came on Tuesday when Beckett McDowell shared the news on his Instagram story. Beckett McDowell shared a picture of himself holding the show's golden ticket and as per Deadline, he wrote:

“To all of you wondering, yes I was on @americanidol and I made the top 26. 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."

Beckett McDowell added:

"I am forever grateful to my American Idol family and I will always look back at the experience with the utmost gratitude and fondness. Please go vote for my friends now as they continue on in the competition.”

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Is former American Idol contestant Beckett McDowell the brother of Charlie McDowell?

Beckett was born on 29 January 2004, and has appeared in The WOMAN Collection (2023), O Lucky Malcolm! (2006) and This Blonde Can Talk About Anything. He is the son of Malcolm McDowell and Kelley Kuhr, who starred in A Clockwork Orange.

Aside from Beckett McDowell's famous parents, he has three siblings, one of whom is the director Charlie McDowell. The director is married to actress Lily Collins, who is known for her role in Emily in Paris. Charlie McDowell has worked on a number of films, including The One I Love (2014), The Discovery (2017), and Windfall (2022).

Beckett McDowell is not the only celebrity child to quit American Idol season 21. On April 3, 2023, Kaya Stewart, the daughter of musician Dave Stewart, left the competition series. She fell ill while preparing for a duet with Fire Wilmore and felt like she was unable to give her hundred percent to the show.

She told US Weekly:

“I always want to give my best, and I’m not giving my best here. And I don’t think it’s a fair representation of myself to do that — or for Fire either. I don’t think it’s fair on her to not give one hundred percent when she’s giving one hundred percent.”

This happened one night after another contestant, Sara Beth Liebe, stepped away from American Idol. As she left the show, she mentioned that she cannot be separated from her children for such a long period of time. During an episode that aired on April 2, Sara Beth Liebe shared this with mentor Clay Aiken:

“I don’t think I realized quite how hard it would be to be away from my kids. They’re all still really young. I feel like I’m gonna try my best ’cause I’m here and so that’s what I should do.”

In addition, Sara Beth Liebe added:

“There’s a lot of guilt that comes when you leave your kids to do something completely selfish. I’m just gonna try to keep my head on straight.”

A new episode of American Idol season 21 will air on ABC at 8 pm ET on April 23, 2023.