Idol Scott MacIntyre sings with new kidney

He was the first blind contestant on “American Idol,” but that hasn’t been the only challenge that last week’s loser, Scott MacIntyre, has faced in his life.

He revealed Monday to Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa that he’s also had a kidney transplant.

“I didn’t want to bring that up during the competition,” he said. “The blindness is obvious but I didn’t want all my challenges to weigh in the voting and now that I’m off the show, people are finding out about it.”

Scott, who suffered from kidney failure, was on emergency dialysis for two years before he found a donor. “I can remember a time when I actually didn’t have enough strength to sit and play and vocalize at the piano, so every day on 'Idol' is just a blessing for me and I am healthy now,” he said.

Scott will tour with the top 10 Idols this summer.

| Lisa Gutierrez, The Star