American Idol announced its Top 10 of Season 12 last night and, to no one’s surprise, Charlie Askew was not among the group of finalists.
The contestant suffered through a mini meltdown on Wednesday night, struggling through a rendition of "Mama" and then confiding to Ryan Seacrest on stage that he’s really an unhappy individual.
"I was impressed that he was courageous enough [to] talk about it," Seacrest told Access Hollywood yesterday. "But I could tell when he was singing and when he was standing there and the judges were talking to him… he was going through a tough time."
Seacrest handled Askew’s admission – that his smile masks his discontent – with aplomb and support on stage, adding at the show’s party in Los Angeles last night:
"I think something’s going on and I just wanted him to know that we know him, we’ve gotten to know him well. And if he needs a friend… we’re there as a friend."