Ada Vox, the former-contestant-turned-drag-queen who returned to audition for American Idol after five years, cleared another hurdle last night after a showstopping cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” which earned a standing ovation from the judges.

Vox later met with the judges sans make-up as Adam Sanders, saying, “I wanted to face you all as myself without the guard. I wanted you all to see who I truly was.”

Said Lionel Richie to Sanders: “I’m glad you showed up in your true form because I want to tell your true self that the dynamic duo will be going forward.”

Watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP6zLZmVnfo

Said Sanders on last week’s show: “I auditioned for American Idol back in Season 12 when I was just 19 years old. I made it through to the top 50. Being told ‘no’ was heartbreaking, but the truth of the matter is I wasn’t ready.”

Sanders explained that he went through a lot after leaving the show: “After American Idol I started getting messages on social media every day, people attacked my weight, my sexuality…telling me that I was horrible, that I sucked, that I didn’t deserve to be here, that I shouldn’t be who I am. And I let it get to me in the wrong way. It killed me inside, almost as much as people telling me I should have killed myself.”

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Added Sanders: “I just kind of disappeared from the world for a while, and in doing that I kind of hurt myself even more. That’s really when I was at my worst, thinking maybe I shouldn’t be here. Maybe I’m not worth the fixing, maybe I’m not worth another try. But through all of the negativity I have managed to build myself up as a new person, as a stronger person. I have recreated myself in ways I could not have imagined.”