In the 20 years Since U Been Gone, Kelly Clarkson, there have been many subsequent winners of American Idol.
The Grammy winner, who just released her most recent studio album Chemistry last Friday, joined Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live for a game of “Plead the Fifth” Tuesday night.
But, when Cohen turned the conversation to the show that made the star famous (after she’d already taken a pass on the first question) Clarkson, 41, knew she was in trouble.
“Can you name an American Idol winner from the last five years?” asked Cohen.
Clarkson’s face immediately fell.
“Oh s—,” she said with a laugh. “In fairness, I don’t — OK… huh,” she continued, looking up at the ceiling as if hoping to find an answer.
“No no no! I got one!” Clarkson cheered, before realizing she spoke too soon after she trying and failing to cobble somebody’s name together.
“No. No I don’t have one,” she finally admitted.
Clarkson became Idol’s first-ever winner in 2002 during the show’s debut season and has gone on to win three Grammys, score 16 Grammy nominations, release 10 albums (including Chemistry), coach contestants on NBC’s The Voice and even host her own daytime talk show.
Other notable Idol winners from throughout the show’s 21-season run include Carrie Underwood, who took home the first place prize in 2005 for the show’s fourth season; Jordin Sparks in 2006, country star Scotty McCreery in 2010 and Phillip Phillips in 2011.
Victors from the last five years, however, (and the acceptable answers to Cohen’s original question) include Iam Tongi (Season 21), Noah Thompson (Season 20), Chayce Beckham (Season 19), Just Sam (Season 18) and Laine Hardy (Season 17).
Earlier this month, Just Sam spoke to TMZ Live about their experience on the ABC reality series and why they’ve returned to performing in the New York City subways.
“I was like, ‘That’s it, me and my mother will never experience the same struggles again.’ And really, that’s not what it was,” recalled the non-binary performer, noting the pandemic-era timing of their win. “It was also difficult because I was the only American Idol in history to win at the beginning of COVID, and everything was shut down.”
Just Sam won Idol in 2020 over runner-up Arthur Gunn.
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