Kelly Clarkson Recalls Clay Aiken’s “Serial Killer” Fridge—and the Time She Messed With It
Kelly Clarkson loves a bit of order—but even she knows someone who takes it to a whole new level.
While chatting with the cast of Ballerina on her daytime show, Clarkson brought up the topic of jobs before fame. Actor Norman Reedus shared that he used to work as a cleaner and still has a bit of an obsessive streak when it comes to tidiness.
“You’d never guess it,” Reedus said. “But I’m that guy—my fridge has to have the yogurts lined up perfectly. Everything in its place.”
That comment sparked a memory for Clarkson, who said she once had a friend so meticulous it was downright eerie.
“He looked like a serial killer with his refrigerator,” she joked—before revealing the hyper-organized friend was none other than American Idol alum Clay Aiken.
“He came from Idol too, and I visited his house one time and was like, ‘What is this?’ Everything was so perfectly placed, so just to mess with him, I rearranged it all,” she laughed.
Clarkson said the prank really threw Aiken off, but stood by her description: “It did look like a serial killer lived there, how his refrigerator looked!”
The two Idol stars reunited on The Kelly Clarkson Show in December 2024, where Clarkson hilariously forgot that Aiken didn’t actually win his season. He gently reminded her that he was the runner-up of American Idol Season 2.
Realizing her mistake, Clarkson quickly turned to the camera and jokingly apologized to the actual winner, Ruben Studdard.
“So sorry, Ruben. I totally remember now,” she said, cracking up both Aiken and the audience.
“Look, I’m 42, okay? I forgot!” Clarkson said with a laugh. Aiken playfully responded, “It’s been 20 years—we’re both getting older.”
Clarkson added, “In my head, for some reason, I imagined y’all were on different shows.”
Aiken didn’t miss a beat: “Ruben’s definitely going to call me about this,” he teased. “No doubt.”