After Joe Irvine was ripped apart by two judges on New Zealand’s X-Factor, he’s been receiving lots of support from fans and fellow performers.

Earlier this week, we reported the troubling story of how two judges on the New Zealander X-Factor show shamed, bullied and humiliated contestant Joe Irvine.

X-judge Natalia Kills accused Irvine of ripping off her husband and fellow judge Willy Moon’s style, calling it “atrocious” and telling the contestant, “you make me sick.”

Both judges were fired from the show, but what about Irvine?

Well, despite the horrible blow, he seems to be doing alright. Messages of support have been poring in from fans and celebrities (including Ed Sheeran), and young singer Lorde went above and beyond:

Lorde’s message reads: “Your individuality, positive energy and spirit are infectious. I think you’re doing an awesome job on the show so far. I’m a performer too and I wanted to say that no matter how many people make fun of me for how I dress, move and act, I’m being me, and that’s what’s important.”

Related: Watch Lorde’s “Yellow Flicker Beat” music video

Ironically, neither Moon nor Kills’ styles are particularly original, which only makes this story all the more strange.

In a statement announcing the judges’ firing, MediaWorks chief executive Mark Weldon said, “Contestants put their all into this competition and they should expect to receive feedback and criticism that is professional and constructive.

“We no longer have confidence that Kills and Moon are the right people to perform the role of X Factor judges and they will leave the show, effective immediately.”