Adore Delano

Adore Delano, born as Dani Noriega, is an American drag artist, singer-songwriter, and television personality. She first achieved national recognition as a contestant on the seventh season of American Idol before earning wider fame competing on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. Alongside her television roles, she has developed a career in music, releasing multiple studio albums and an extended play.

Delano was born on September 29, 1989, in Glendora, California, to Bonnie Pimentel Noriega. She grew up in Azusa, California, where she attended Sierra High School, an alternative educational facility for youth at risk.

Her career began in 2007 when she auditioned for American Idol at age 18. Having lived as a transgender woman prior to her audition, she temporarily detransitioned to participate on the show, which aired in early 2008. She reached the semi-final rounds and became known for her interactions with judge Simon Cowell. Following her departure from the series, she performed on Rosie O'Donnell's R Family Vacations cruise and appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She subsequently established a digital audience on YouTube through comedy videos and drag performances as Adore Delano and Angel Baby, releasing a music video for "24/7" in 2009.

After witnessing a performance by drag artist Raven at the West Hollywood venue Micky's, Delano entered and won a drag competition there, leading her to begin performing regularly across Southern California. She walked in Los Angeles Fashion Week for Marco Marco in 2013 and was cast in the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race later that year. During the competition, she won three main challenges and finished as a runner-up alongside Courtney Act. She later returned for the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, voluntarily departing in the second episode, and later made guest appearances on season 11 of Drag Race as well as season four of Ex on the Beach.

Delano launched her music career in 2014 with the lead single "DTF" and her debut studio album, Till Death Do Us Party, which reached the top three on the US Billboard Dance/Electronic Albums chart. She released her second album, After Party, in 2016, followed by the punk-influenced record Whatever in 2017 and her EP Dirty Laundry in 2021. She has embarked on numerous headlining world tours to support her musical releases.

In 2019, New York magazine ranked Delano sixth on its list of the top drag queens in America, and she appeared on the cover of Gay Times. In her personal life, Delano publicly came out as transgender in 2023 after identifying as non-binary for several years. She has been sober since 2021 and announced a relationship with reality television contestant Sasha Allen in late 2024.