Clay Aiken captured the hearts of America when he embodied the underdog spirit to finish as the runner-up on season two of American Idol. Long-time fans of the show were recently given a trip down memory lane when Aiken returned for the May 19 finale of the current season, performing his latest single, "Rewind."
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Interestingly, Aiken has taken his own stroll through the history books. During a recent interview with Insider TV, the former American Idol runner-up remembered how Simon Cowell wasn't convinced he looked like a pop star. In fact, Aiken distinctly remembers Cowell calling him ugly.
"He said I was ugly," Aiken said. "Go look it up. It's in there. You can watch the footage. I remember."
However, it would appear Aiken understands why Cowell approached the situation in the way he did. After all, the music industry is known for vanity, especially when picking the stars of tomorrow.
"Simon came from a world where it was all about the image, not necessarily looks," Aiken recalled. "It was all about the image. In my audition, he said that I didn't look like a pop star, but that I had a great voice. I think there was an interesting quandary about whether or not America was going to vote for the best singers or are they going to vote for the people who look like pop stars."
Clay Aiken Understands That Simon Cowell Knows What Sells
During his discussion with Insider TV, Aiken also explained why Cowell was so abrasive during the early seasons of American Idol.
"I think Simon knew what made good TV in the [early] 2000s," Aiken said.
However, the talented singer did accept that Cowell has changed over the years, becoming a more welcoming figure.
"He's totally changed," he continued. "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."
American Idol remains one of the biggest reality shows on television. Cowell plays a big role in the show remaining competitive in a time of dwindling viewership across the board. Of course, having home-grown stars such as Aiken return for the occasional cameo doesn't hurt, ugly or not.
