American Idol

A former American Idol finalist has come out of the closet.

R.J. Helton, 25, announced he is gay while on SIRIUS Satellite Radio host Larry Flick's show "OutQ in the Morning" on Wednesday.

During the on-air interview, Flick asked Helton – who'd been in the top five on the first season of American Idol – why he was no longer performing inspirational music.

"I can have a faith, but can't be who I want to be. So a lot of it was just personal things I needed to overcome and just be proud of who I was," Helton replied. "Just because I am gay does not mean I can't love God."

"Well there you go," said Flick. "Congratulations. "This is something that I wasn't sure you were going to talk about on the air today, so what made you decide to come out?"

Said Helton: "Today, this morning, three seconds ago … I've never even said that. It feels good."

The announcement made news on the same day that Grey's Anatomy star T.R. Knight told People magazine:

"I guess there have been a few questions about my sexuality, and I'd like to quiet any unnecessary rumors that may be out there. While I prefer to keep my personal life private, I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me."