Former supermodel Heidi Klum rarely shows raw emotion on reality TV, but Lily Meola’s 2022 audition changed that. Meola performed an original track titled ‘Daydream,’ which earned a standing ovation from the judges and the ultimate reaction from Klum – the coveted ‘Golden Buzzer.’ But before the young artist began her act, she moved the entire auditorium to tears with her emotional backstory. Despite missing out on a big record deal, Meola said she felt fortunate to have spent the last days with her mother, who died of cancer. “She was my biggest cheerleader,” she said. In that moment, Klum was visibly emotional, seen choking back tears.

“I’m speechless,” Klum reacted after the heart-tugging performance. “Just everything about you, you just light up. I see a light around you. Immediately, I fell in love with you … I really, really like you, so I’m gonna push this Golden Buzzer for you. It’s you!” In an exclusive with People, the former Victoria’s Secret model admitted that she had no intention of pressing the golden buzzer for a solo singer, but she felt compelled to take Meola “under her wing” as soon as she saw her confidence and vulnerability. “After hearing Lily’s story about her mom passing and her struggle with it, my heart was already melted. And then she sang, and my gut told me, ‘She is yours,'” Klum confessed.

“I was like, ‘Okay, this year I’m going to hold out to the very end. I’m going to hold out and look for that special act, ‘but then things always happen differently,” she added. Meola’s reaction to the golden moment was ecstatic; she expressed her gratitude with a lengthy caption on Instagram. The young artist revealed that she performed on the reality show without any expectation of going ahead in the competition. She thanked Klum for believing in her and helping her grow as an artist. “At the end of the day, we’re all in this together. So much love from me to you,” she concluded.