Brooke Bids ‘Idol’ Bye Bye

And then there were four.

Brooke White, the nanny from Van Nuys, Calif., was the latest cast-off on “American Idol,” leaving only one woman, Syesha Mercado, left standing.

Following one of the most chaotic night’s in the show’s history, it was ultimately the young blonde Carly Simon-esque singer’s lack of confidence that did her in.

At one point during the evening, when she and Syesha were sent back to the couch by host Ryan Seacrest to wait as the show’s bottom two, Brooke commented, “we’ll stay as long as we can.”

The night also contained performances by Neil Diamond (this week’s music mentor) and Natasha Bedingfield (who jokingly even agreed to be David Archuleta’s prom date).

Seacrest also put to rest any rumors that had been circulating that pesky Internet that judge Paula Abdul had been out of sorts the night before. At about 12 minutes into the show he explained that, “the rumors are not true, she’s part of our family, and we love her.” Paula seemed genuinely surprised and moved.

At one point during the night’s broadcast, when the show takes pre-taped calls from fans, Simon’s first kiss (from when he was nine-years-old) called in — a woman named Tara Miller from Petaluma, Calif.