NEWSKelly Clarkson Shades 'American Idol' and Claims They Never Gave Her Car Prize: 'They Lied'
Kelly Clarkson shaded 'American Idol' and claimed they never gave her the car that she won during Season 1.
March 11 2026, Published 3:35 p.m. ET
Kelly Clarkson iconically won the first season of Fox's American Idol back in 2002, but she never received her prize money or the car the network promised her.
Kelly Clarkson Looked Back on Her 'American Idol' Days
Kelly Clarkson shaded 'American Idol' and claimed they never gave her the car that she won during Season 1.
On the March 10 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the host spoke with The Traitors season 4 winner Rob Rausch and Daniel Radcliffe about winning the early aughts singing competition series.
Rausch, 27, said he still hasn't gotten paid despite winning $220,800 from the Peacock series.
"You know what? I relate to this so hardcore," the "Breakaway" singer began.
Kelly Clarkson said the network 'lied' to her over giving her a car.
"I literally was on the show, and they were like, ‘Oh, you win a million dollars’ or whatever. No, you didn’t. They lied. It was, like, a million dollars worth of investment in you," she recalled on the talk show. "And then they said you get a car, and I needed it ‘cause my car was bashed in, and I couldn’t afford the deductible."
"I did not get a car," Clarkson sulked. "And then Clay Aiken, who didn’t win the second season, got a car and his mom [also got a car]!"
Aiken, 47, famously was the runner-up on the second season of Idol in 2003, with winner Ruben Studdard taking home the gold.
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Clay Aiken Received 2 Cars After He Appeared on 'American Idol'
Kelly Clarkson famously won 'American Idol' in 2002.
Clarkson added: "I was like, ‘What the f---?’ I remember Clay telling me that the second season. He’s like, ‘Yeah, they gave my mom one.’ I was like, ‘I’m gonna actually kick your a-- right now.’"
The Harry Potter alum, 36, was shocked at the revelation and gave his two cents on Idol's "system."
"There should be some system where if you win something on the first season of something, whatever the prize has become, you should retroactively get that," the British actor suggested.
Clay Aiken was the runner-up in Season 2 of 'American Idol.'
"No, it was supposed to be the prize then, okay? It was supposed to be the prize then," she said.
As opposed to Clarkson, Season 16 winner Maddie Poppe and Season 4 victor Carrie Underwood did receive their prizes.
Underwood, 43, revealed in March 2023 that she still has the Ford Mustang convertible she scored from the show, while Poppe, 28, received $250,000.
“You do get $250,000, but not really because of taxes,” Poppe told Business Insider in 2022. “And you get half of it before you complete your record, and then the second half you get after you complete the record."
