Sheldon Riley Reveals His Journey from Masked Singer to Authentic Performer on American Idol

Paulette CohnTue, February 3, 2026 at 3:09 AM UTC

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(Disney/Eric McCandless)

America first met Sheldon Riley as a masked singer on America’s Got Talent. He reached the quarterfinals in Season 14 (2020) and made it to the semifinals as a member of Team Mel B on AGT: Fantasy League (2024).

Now, the 26-year-old from Melbourne, Australia is coming out from behind the mask to audition for American Idol, and he explained why the masks and why he took two years away from music in order to perform as his authentic self.

“I’ve wanted to do music since I was a really young kid,” Sheldon said in his video package. “When I was maybe 15 years old, I sung at my school and I remember that first applause, and I was, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’ I loved the way it made me feel. I loved the way it made me feel noticed. About 10 years ago, I auditioned for a big TV show back in Australia – my big moment. I sang my song and they said it wasn’t quite enough, just you singing is not enough.”

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That experience made Sheldon doubt himself. It made him feel as if he had to play a character just to be seen. That’s why the masked singer character was created that dressed up in crazy, of avant garde fashion with crystals and diamonds. It was the thing that he felt made people see him and it took off.

“I had opportunities like crazy, not just Australia, but the world,” said Sheldon, who represented Australia in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. “I have been on every TV show competition known to man. I’ve done it all. The outfits just kept getting crazier and crazier. It was almost like an addiction to being the most memorable person in the room. But I’d come home and take the mask off, the makeup, the accessories, everything, and I would hate that person I saw in the mirror. I hated that version of me, so I took 2 years off and remembered why that little kid got up on stage that first time.”

American Idol is going to be Sheldon’s re-entry into music.

“This is the one show – there’s no smoke, no mirrors, no nothing – and I said to myself, if I was going to come back into music, it would be here with just the piano and me,” he said. “If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. I don’t know if anyone’s going to want what I have to give without what I usually put on. That’s a big part of why I’m here just to remind myself that my voice is enough.”

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When judge Carrie Underwood heard his story, she said, “Everybody has that version of themself of what you just said. Everybody has got their mask whether it’s something physical that they hide behind or this certain identity that they’re created for themselves. Of course, you do worry if I wasn’t that, would anybody still love me. You are very relatable.”

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Then Sheldon got down to the business of the night which was singing. He performed “Brother” by Australian singer/songwriter Matt Corby.

“You are crazy talented, crazy unbelievable,” Luke Bryan reassured him. “I don’t know why you had to wear the mask because you are an amazing looking person. Being the loudest guy in the room, you don’t have to be that. Being the most dynamic singer in the room, you don’t have to be that. It’s okay to just peel a layer off. That was impressive.”

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“You are an artist and you’re authentic,”Lionel Richie said. “I love watching someone in their moment. You have stage presence. It’s all there. Accept you; embrace you.”

Carried added, “I’m really glad you’re here. I really love your voice, so let’s vote.”

It was three yeses, so Sheldon is going to Hollywood Week.

He said, “I’ve been enjoyed by a lot of people, very important people, but that was the first time it meant something because I went out there and not playing a character. It was me. They liked me.”

American Idol airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Streams next day on Hulu.

Next, American Idol Returns in 2026 with Three Game-Changing Shake-Ups

This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the TV section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”