‘American Idol’ Didn’t Let Adore Delano ‘Come Out’ on the Show

Adore Delano earned praise for her punk rock aesthetic (and Libra tendencies) on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6, later returning for All-Stars 2. The singer also appeared on American Idol, even if she was advised against coming out and singing “girl songs.” 

Here’s what she said during a recent podcast interview.

Adore Delano ‘came out’ at 12 — but stayed straight on ‘American Idol’ 

Before joining RuPaul’s Drag Race, Adore Delano competed on American Idol until the name Danny Noriega. She performed “Proud Mary” and “Tainted Love,” eventually making it to the Top 24. 

Over a decade later, while on MOM Podcasts, Adore Delano reacted to a picture of herself performing on American Idol. 

After laughing at the hairstyle and outfit choice, she compared her looks to Rosie O’Donnell. She added that she came out to friends and family at 12 years old, but wasn’t openly gay on the reality show. 

“Oh no,” Delano said. “The creators told me not to come out. Like, a lot.”

Adore Delano reflects on her time on ‘American Idol’ 

Although this singer appeared on seasons 6 and 7 of American Idol, she did not win either competition. In an essay, the singer reacted to her time as a contestant, which wasn’t always a positive experience. 

“I was pretty emotional the night I was eliminated, too,” she noted. “But I knew I was going home. I just knew I was leaving… Nigel was sitting with us upstairs and he was kind of hinting and saying certain things, kind of trying to manipulate the situation for TV. But I already knew. I thought, ‘Oh, this it it.’”

Adore Delano was advised against singing ‘girl songs’

Even if Adore Delano competed on American Idol out of drag, she was still advised against singing female-written and driven tracks. 

“They wouldn’t even let me sing Joan Jett songs because they said I couldn’t sing any more girl songs,” Adore Delano said in the same podcast, then turning to the camera. “Yeah, you did, American Idol, don’t you ever lie.”

She mentioned one of her first song choices was “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” which was rejected by the reality competition series.

“I had moments on Idol that were really fun, and then there were certain moments that were dark – all in the short time that I was there,” the artist wrote. “Ironically, now ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ is one of my staple songs in my show as Adore Delano.”

Adore Delano made it to the finals of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6, later competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars 2. 

She became one of the best-known performers from the franchise, even earning a cameo in Taylor Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down.” The drag queen continues to sing at her live shows, even releasing originals on most major streaming platforms.