Miss Ada American Idol: Get to Know the Drag Queen Who Wowed the Judges

They're getting a seond chance! Back in 2013, aspiring singer Adam Sanders auditioned for a spot on Season 12 of American Idol with an impressive rendition of Etta James' iconic song "I’d Rather Go Blind," and got a unanimous "yes" from all four judges. But even though they got the golden ticket to Hollywood, Adam ultimately did not make it very far in the competition. Now, after learning from their past experiences, Adam returned to Season 16 as a drag queen named Miss Ada Vox and so far, they made it even further than they did during their first stint on the show.

"I auditioned for American Idol back in Season 12 but I wasn't ready," the San Antonio native said in their confessional. "I started getting messages on social media telling me that I shouldn't be who I am. But through all of the negativity, I have built myself up in ways I could not have imagined."

Adam's been on this Idol journey for quite some time, and you won't believe how far he's come. See his audition TONIGHT on #AmericanIdol! pic.twitter.com/HxzUeB5MRj
— American Idol (@AmericanIdol) March 25, 2018

Adam's comeback was a major surprise to viewers and the judges because in the nearly five years that Adam first auditioned, they decided to start living their life authentically as a drag queen. In an interview with local news station KSAT 12, they opened up about their transition.

"Since then I've gone through an evolution," Ada revealed. "I'm now a part-time woman. And I've grown so much as an entertainer, as a performer, as a singer because of the show and the experiences it's allowed me."

A post shared by Ada Vox (@adavox) on Mar 6, 2018 at 10:44am PST

Ada went on to explain how they first fell in love with singing. When they were eight years old, they were in the hospital recovering from brain surgery and their mother would sing to them while they were in recovery. That paired with watching American Idol on TV is what inspired Ada to pursue their dream of becoming a singer.

Even though Miss Ada wowed the judges a second time and earned a golden ticket to Hollywood and she survived Hollywood Week, fans will have wait to see if Miss Ada will make it from the top 40 contestants to the top 24.

Be sure to tune into American Idol, airing Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.