CHARLOTTE: Bucky Covington, the latest contestant voted off American Idol, says the comments of judge Simon Cowell are no longer helpful. “It seems like he used to give advice, but now he doesn’t give advice as he does try to put you down,” said Covington, 28, a country singer from Rockingham, North Carolina.

On April 11, Covington sang a version of rock band Queen’s Fat Bottomed Girls. Cowell called his performance “mediocre”. The following night, Covington was booted off the Fox network show.

Covington said Cowell will never like singers like himself or contestant Taylor Hicks. “For him to like someone like me or Taylor is out of the question. No matter what we do, he’s not going to like us. We’re just not his thing,” he said.

His departure slimmed the Idol hopefuls to seven. The winner is set to be named on May 24.