Adam Lambert Praises Saara Aalto After X Factor Duet — And Hints at a Possible Collaboration
Adam Lambert has heaped praise on Saara Aalto following their memorable “Bohemian Rhapsody” duet on The X Factor, even suggesting the pair could potentially work together again in the future.
The American singer, who performed with Aalto during the 2016 live final, said he had an enjoyable experience with the Finnish singer and described her as “lovely.”
Lambert told The Sun: “Saara’s lovely. It was so much fun.” He also praised her personality, saying she was exactly the same person away from the cameras.
“She is exactly what you see on camera… sweet and down-to-earth. We had a great time,” he said.
When asked whether he would consider collaborating with the X Factor finalist, Lambert left the possibility open.
“You never know. We had such a lovely time together,” he replied.
The comments came shortly after Aalto finished as runner-up on the show, losing the 2016 final to Matt Terry.
But Lambert was quick to insist that coming second should not be viewed as a failure. Having experienced the same result himself on American Idol in 2009, he knows first-hand that finishing just short of the title can still lead to a successful career.
“When you make it to the final you’ve kind of won anyway. I was the runner-up when I was on Idol,” Lambert explained.
He added that reaching the end of a competition such as The X Factor means an artist has already had the chance to demonstrate their abilities to a huge television audience.
“You get to the end of a show like that, you’ve sung every week so you’ve shown the country what you are capable of. There’s no losing.”
Aalto herself had previously made it clear that winning the competition was not necessarily her main priority. By reaching the final and gaining widespread exposure, the Finnish performer had already achieved much of what she wanted from the experience.
Her duet with Lambert nevertheless became one of the standout moments of the final, bringing the pair together for a dramatic performance of Queen’s iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Aalto ultimately finished behind Terry, whose winning single “When Christmas Comes Around” was written by Ed Sheeran.
The song received a mixed reaction from some viewers, with several fans questioning whether it suited Aalto’s distinctive vocal style and suggesting that the track would not have been the right choice for her.
Meanwhile, Terry faced his own challenge after winning the competition, competing for the coveted Christmas number one against major names including Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift.
For Aalto, however, Lambert’s praise offered another reason to look beyond the result. After an intense run on The X Factor, the runner-up had already captured the attention of viewers — and now even one of the show’s biggest guest performers was leaving the door open to a possible future collaboration.
Whether that collaboration would ever happen remained uncertain, but Lambert’s message was clear: coming second did not mean Saara Aalto had lost.
