‘American Idol’ Season 18 Winner Just Sam Performs On Stage For First Time Since Going Back To Singing In NYC Subways

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Samantha Diaz, otherwise known as Just Sam, returned to the American Idol stage four years after being crowned the Season 18 winner.

During Sunday night’s (April 28) episode of the long-running singing competition show, Just Sam, who goes by they/them pronouns, graced the room with a performance of Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time.” Since COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 forced them to submit their performances from home, this was the first time they got to sing on the Idol stage.

“This is way better than an iPhone from home,” they told Ryan Seacrest.

The judges were unsurprisingly stunned by Just Sam’s rendition of Houston’s hit song.

“I ain’t got notes,” Katy Perry said. “But, what I will say is, you 100% deserve that confetti. It was long overdue and it looks so great on you. I’m just so proud of who you’ve become.”

Luke Bryan added, “I’m so glad you had your moment. It’s so nice to sit here and hear your voice again in this room. You go through everything it took, from home to get you to win American Idol, for you to have your moment in time, it was really, really special.”

Lionel Richie said he felt like a “proud papa bear.”

“I’m so proud of you. I know the challenges that you’ve been through and you have charmed us all,” he said. “The fact that you have now come back all grown up and solid as a rock, I can only say, God has his hands firmly on you.”

Despite winning American Idol, life hasn’t exactly been easy for Just Sam, who returned to performing in New York City subways one year after winning the show.

“Everyone wants to know what happened and why this or why that & I will answer those questions someday, but in the meantime, I’ll say this. I never expected to win, but I did, I was so grateful and I know that people are feeling like I let them down,” they said in 2023, per The Sun.

Just Sam continued, “I used to feel like I let myself and everyone down too. I know that there’s more coming for me. I know that everything happens for a reason and I know that this too shall pass no matter what things may look like right now.”

American Idol airs on Sunday and Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.