Caleb Kennedy Discusses His Abrupt 'American Idol' Exit for the First Time

Caleb Kennedy is opening up about his abrupt exit from American Idol for the first time.

The 16-year-old country singer, who reached the Top 5 on the most recent season, left the show after some controversial social media posts surfaced online.

Click inside to find out what he said in a new interview…

“There’s no way to emotionally prepare for Idol,” Caleb said while speaking to a local paper in South Carolina. “Because no one is ready for it, no matter how you prepare. But I don’t regret it, and I did love it.”

“You think it’s all going to be fun, and a lot of it is, but it will slap you in the face really quickly. I wasn’t ready for it,” he added.

Caleb talked about how he was changed by Idol and how the version of himself on the show was different than his everyday self.

“On Idol, that wasn’t me,” he said. “That world is so different. Now that I’m home, I try to be me, but I’m also scared of someone videoing me when I go to Academy or Wal-Mart. You have to worry about things like that now.”

Find out how the show addressed his exit on the air.