One of the 'Idol' 24 Has Been Ousted for Lying

Some of you may have noticed that there was a little bit of a change in the Top 24 during the Wednesday episode of 'American Idol.' Chris Golightly, who originally auditioned in Los Angeles, made it to the Top 24, and was shown in a group shot toward the end of the episode, but when we had individual shots of the 24 semi-finalists at the very end, he was missing. So what's the story? Turns out, Golightly was less than honest with 'Idol' producers.

After nine seasons, viewers and contestants alike have (or should have) learned one thing: be upfront with 'Idol' producers. Season One contestant Nikki McKibbin was upfront about her stripper past, and was allowed to stay on the show. Frenchie Davis, however, failed to disclose that she posed topless on the web, and was ousted. Golightly's infraction was that he failed to tell producers that he had a record contract.

It's unclear whether Golightly still had a contract, or if he had just had one in the past, but it's something about which all contestants are queried, as having a current contract makes you ineligible to compete. So basically, if Golightly's contract was still valid, he would have been ineligible regardless, but if it wasn't and he just failed to tell producers, then he got himself kicked out of the competition for absolutely no reason.

Because he was ousted during the semi-finals, Golightly is ineligible to try out for the show again. However, Simon Cowell told reporters that if he was ousted purely based "on a technicality," then he would be welcome to audition for 'The X-Factor,' which Cowell is bringing to the U.S. next year.

So who's the big winner in this situation? That would be 20-year-old Tim Urban, who is replacing Golightly in the competition. Now the big question is, how will Urban stack up, now that he's been given a second chance?