Thursday night marked the last round of American Idol auditions before the show heads to Hollywood, and among the hopefuls were a 16-year-old boy who suffers from cystic fibrosis, a young man who grew up with deaf parents, and a ventriloquist who brought her puppet up on stage with her. (She made it to Hollywood; the puppet didn't.)
But all of those were nothing compared to the final audition of the evening. A tall, older-looking figure emerged from the shadows. When "she" turned to face the judges, it was revealed to be ... none other than former Idol judge Steven Tyler, in full drag.
Tyler, donning a blond wig and high heels, introduced himself as "Pepper" (or "Peppa"? We honestly couldn't really tell) and said he was going to perform "Tell Your Ma, Tell Your Pa, Our Love Gonna Grow, Wah Wah."
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Tyler eventually gave up the shtick, but not before honking his ample prosthetic chest and removing the wig.
"I just wanted to come by and say hello, everybody. I love you. Good luck with this year!" Tyler told the judges, who were all guffawing by this point.
Check back here for video of Tyler's audition when it becomes available.
American Idol's Hollywood round begins next Wednesday at 8/7c on Fox.