CLAY Aiken shot to fame after appearing on American Idol and has since branched out into TV, theatre and politics.
But who is the 44-year-old star, where is he now and is he married? Here’s everything you need to know.
1
Who is Clay Aiken
Clayton ‘Clay’ Aiken is a singer, actor and politician from Raleigh, North Carolina.
He was the runner-up on the second season of American Idol.
As a child, he sang in school and church choirs and was active in the local theatre.
He attended Leesville Road High School and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
He previously worked for the YMCA and is a Baptist.
Is Clay Aiken married?
Besides career moves, Clay Aiken raises headlines in the media for his relationships.
He publicly came out as gay in 2008 and has been in three public relationships.
Aiken dated former Survivor contestant, Reed Kelly, from 2008 to 2010.
Following his break up from Kelly, it was reported Aiken was romantically tied to Devin Finn in 2010.
Aiken’s relationship with Jeff Walters lasted from 2010 to 2011.
Before he came out, he had a son with his “dear friend” Jaymes Foster Levy.
The pair are not believed to have been romantically involved and their son, Parker Foster Aiken, was conceived through in vitro fertilization.
Aiken is currently believed to be single.
Since revealing his sexuality, he has been a strong advocate of LGBTQ+ rights and has spoken about anti-gay bullying on Capitol Hill on behalf of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
When was Clay Aiken on American Idol?
Aiken was the runner-up on the second season of American Idol, which aired in 2003.
He came second to Alabama-based singer Ruben Studdard.
In his audition, Aiken sang ‘Always and Forever’ by Heatwave before wowing viewers with renditions of Elton John and Neil Sedaka hits later in the competition.
Over 24 million votes were cast on the final, with Aiken losing out by just 134,000.
He returned to the show for a special appearance in the fifth season and narrated the second season of American Idol Rewind.
Where is Clay Aiken now?
Aiken has reunited with his victorious rival Studdard to celebrate 20 years since their TV debuts with a singing tour.
He has released six studio albums and has numerous acting credits.
His TV roles include guest starring in Phineas and Ferb and The Office, while he has appeared on Broadway in Monty Python’s Spamalot.
In addition to his career in entertainment, Aiken has twice run for office.
He was the Democratic candidate for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District but fell short against Republican opponent Renee Ellmers.
In 2022, he finished third in the primary for the state’s 4th Congressional District, which would be won by now-Representative Valeri Foushee.
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