American Idol has produced a number of famous contestants, such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and many, many more. Clay Aiken has also kept a steady music career since becoming the runner-up in the second season. He received some tough criticism during his Idol days, though, which he didn’t mind, and even though Simon Cowell called him ugly, he still thinks he’s a TV genius.
Clarkson may have forgotten who won the season after hers, but many people remember that Aiken came in second place, just behind Ruben Studdard. It’s known that judges during Idol’s early days, particularly Cowell, were pretty rude, making the competition as stiff as ever. The feedback these days is more constructive criticism where Underwood is concerned, but way back when, the critique wasn’t just about the singing. Aiken recalled to TV Insider how Cowell commented on his looks, and he didn’t even remember until just recently:
I watched some old clips last year. That’s how I remembered he called me ugly. I listened to some of the things he’d said, and I thought, ‘Holy, shit!’ Did I block it out psychologically? I don’t remember if he had said some mean things. But [the contestants] had a good relationship with him.
Considering it came from Cowell, it’s unfortunately not so surprising. The current America’s Got Talent judge was perhaps the scariest part about American Idol because you never knew what to expect with his feedback. And sometimes, he’d comment on much more than how you were sounding. However, there was apparently a very different side of Cowell that contestants ended up knowing that wasn’t really shown on camera:
I think Simon knew what made good TV in the [early] 2000s. He’s totally changed. We didn’t get to see him very often backstage. They kept us pretty separate. I don’t know how much [the contestants] get to see [the judges] now, but we’d get to see [Simon] after someone got cut. He’d come back and give a hug and say goodbye. [The judges] were all always very warm. [Simon] was very supportive of people. I think we knew he wasn’t making [things] up. He said what he really felt, but that’s why he’s a TV genius, right? He knows how to make TV and he knew exactly what was necessary in terms of pushing buttons like nobody’s business.
It’s nice to know just what Cowell and the other judges were like behind the scenes and how supportive he was of all the contestants. He might have been scary and harsh with the feedback, but when it came to the backstage stuff, it was all love and support. Sometimes it can be hard to hear that honest feedback, but that’s what makes Cowell so great at it. He knows when to be harsh, he’s honest, and according to Aiken, that’s why he’s such a genius.
One of the most entertaining parts about American Idol’s early days was seeing Cowell get as harsh as possible with feedback, no matter how crushing it was for a contestant. The judges did not hold back, and Cowell was such a pain, according to Paula Abdul. Even though they’re not as severe these days, the harshness is definitely still there. Underwood, who won Season 4, has been a judge for two seasons now and doesn’t mind being booed because all she’s doing is motivating the contestants. There doesn’t seem to be any hard feelings between Aiken and Cowell, which is good, and I bet the same can be said for others who worked with the judge.
I would love it if Aiken and Cowell were to cross paths again, whether on America’s Got Talent or somewhere else, just to see what Cowell would say about him now. At the very least, Aiken returned to his stomping grounds, performing his new single “Rewind” towards the end of the latest season.
