David Cook

David Cook stuck out like a sore thumb last night in his absence from American Idol, as a head count of the show’s previous winners in their joint performance revealed there to be only seven of the eight past champions on stage. But it turns out his absence from the stage was for the most valid of reasons: he had previously committed to a charity event in Kansas City. Cook took to Twitter to announce that he was “sorry” he couldn’t be in Hollywood to join his fellow Idols. Mystery solved.