by By
Ryan Coleman
Published on June 5, 2025 06:48PM EDT – Entertainment Weekly
Clay Aiken has a confession to make. He
admits he used to organize his refrigerator like a “serial killer.” But thanks
to Kelly Clarkson, he promises he’s
changed his ways.
On Wednesday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the host and O.G. American
Idol winner recalled once getting a peek
inside the Idol season 2 runner-ups fridge, and being shocked by the
impeccable organizational scheme. “He looked like a serial killer with his
refrigerator. I went to his house and I was like, ‘The hell?'” Clarkson said,
adding, “Then just to f— with him, I just moved everything. And it did mess
him up.”
Aiken owned up to the revelation in a statement shared with Entertainment
Weekly. “It’s true. I used to be a bit intense about the organization of my
precious perishables,” the 46-year-old, North Carolina-born singer and
activist wrote. “Thankfully, my dear friend, Kelly, helped cure me of this
obsession by regularly breaking into my house while I was out of town and
completely dismantling my fridge organization system!”
Aiken humorously continued, “Thanks to her (less than legal) efforts, I’m
happy to say I’m cured, and my fridge today looks like an episode of
Hoarders… I didn’t even realize excessive kitchen organization was a
gateway to serial killing, just think of how many lives Kelly may have saved!”
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The former reality stars have known each other for over 20 years, first
meeting when Clarkson was brought back for several episodes of Idol season 2
to sing songs like her debut album singles “Anytime” and “Miss Independent,”
and Barry Manilow‘s “One Voice,” for
which she was joined by the season’s top 12 contestants.
Clay Aiken in New York City in 2025 and Kelly Clarkson in Newark in 2023.
John Lamparski/Getty; Astrid Stawiarz/Getty
The year after Ruben Studdard took home the gold on Aiken’s season of Idol ,
Clarkson invited Aiken to join her on the “Independent Tour” in support of her
debut album, Thankful , and his debut album, Measure of a Man.
When asked how they ‘ve learned to lean on each-other in a mid-tour interview
on _TRL _ in 2004, Aiken joked,
“The tired-er I get, the grumpier I get, the more I pick on Kelly.” Clarkson
agreed, laughing, “We don’t lean on each other, we pick on each other.”
Both Aiken and Clarkson have returned to their Idol roots over the years,
with Aiken performing a duet with his season 2 co-finalist Ruben
Studdard on 2023’s season 21 finale,
and Clarkson making appearances on seasons 14 and 15 of the long-running
reality competition series.
Access the full story at its original location at Entertainment Weekly.