Judges' favorite, 29-year-old soul singer Mandisa was shown the door in the American Idol contest last week.

Mandisa's exit that came as a surprise to many brought down the number of contestants to eight.

What did her in was, in all probability, song choice. Judge Simon Cowell said on Tuesday's program that Mandisa choice of Shania Twain's "Any Man of Mine" was "horrible". Though, he thought the rendition was "fun" and "cutesy." Cowell had once named Mandisa the competition's best female singer. But he said on Wednesday's show that success "comes down to song choice." The judges felt that she had chosen a song that did not show off her voice to best advantage.

Elliot Yamin and Paris Bennett got the next lowest votes. Considered the show's best male singer, Yamin, 27, from Los Angeles, CA, was also guilty of poor song choice. Cowell described his rendition of Garth Brooks' "If Tomorrow Never Comes" as "safe" and "hesitant."

Bennett, 17, sang "How Do I Live" to mixed reviews from judges. Cowell praised her performance as "excellent," but Randy Jackson called it "a tough song" for her.

In terms of ratings, American Idol continues to do well. According to Seacrest viewers called in "just under" 35 million votes on last week's program.The winner of the American Idol contest will be crowned on May 24.