Kelly Clarkson never got her 'American Idol' winning prize
Kelly Clarkson never got her 'American Idol' winning prize
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYWed, March 11, 2026 at 10:31 PM UTC
0
Kelly Clarkson is still waiting for her "American Idol" prize nearly 25 years later.
During a Tuesday, March 10 episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show," the TV host revealed she never received the $1 million check or the car that were promised after her win on season 1 of the reality singing competition series.
The revelation came out after "The Traitors" star Rob Rausch said he hasn't yet received his $220,800 prize pot after recently winning Season 4 of the murder mystery game.
"I relate to this so hard core because whenever I won, you probably weren't alive when I was on 'American Idol,' but I literally was on the show, and they were like, 'Oh, you win a million dollars or whatever.' No, you didn't. They lied," Clarkson told Rausch and fellow guest Daniel Radcliffe.
Kelly Clarkson at the 51st annual Daytime Emmys Awards at The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites on June 7, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Instead of being given a $1 million check, the series gave her "a $1 million worth of investment in you."
The Texas native then called out the show for giving both the Season 2 runner-up, Clay Aiken, and his mother cars. So she playfully warned Rausch that he might not see his check. "But you know what? Hope you got enough TV time," she said.
Advertisement
USA TODAY has reached out to "American Idol"'s projection company for comment.
How old was Kelly Clarkson on 'American Idol'?
Clarkson, 43, was 20 when she starred in the inaugural season of "American Idol," which she won Sept. 4, 2002.
The vocal powerhouse wowed judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson with her rendition of "At Last" by Etta James and proved to be a dominant competitor throughout the season. She earned the win on finale night with her performances of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" as well as her original songs "A Moment Like This" and "Before Your Love."
1 / 0Kelly Clarkson through the years, from 'American Idol' to superstar
Since Kelly Clarkson earned the title of the first "American Idol" winner in 2002, the pop star's career has flourished, making it impossible for fans to "Breakaway." Look back on her path to stardom, beginning here at the 66th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 4, 2024.
Following the series, she rose to stardom with many songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including No. 1 hits like "Since U Been Gone" and "Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)." She's won three Grammy Awards and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She stayed true to her TV roots, serving as a coach on "The Voice" for 10 seasons, winning four different seasons, and launching her daytime talk series "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in 2019.
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kelly Clarkson never got her money, car after winning 'American Idol'
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
