Kelly Clarkson Names ‘American Idol’ Contestant She Thinks Could Have Beat Her

HARRY YouTube Channel

American Idol produced many superstars over the course of its seasons. From Carrie Underwood to Scotty McCreery, there’s no denying that the show has helped discover great talent.

The first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson, is also one of the most successful, with millions of records sold and three Grammy Awards to her name. Labeled as a pop rock artist, Clarkson also sings soul and country, and his strong ties to country icons like Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood.

It was Idol that pushed Clarkson into the spotlight, but as she told former judge Harry Connick Jr. on his talk show, she knows there is one person from another season who could have beat her. So who was it?

Our first thought was that Clarkson was going to name Underwood as her biggest Idol competition, but we were surprised by her answer. Clarkson said that if she had competed against season two winner Ruben Studdard, he would have been the one who won, not her.

“I feel like there are nights when I can be effortless and those are amazing,” Clarkson said. “But he is effortless every time.”

Like Clarkson, Studdard has released work in a variety of genres, including gospel and R&B. He has also experienced success in television and stage work over the years.

We’re lucky that Clarkson and Studdard didn’t compete against one another, because now we get to enjoy both of their talented voices! Listen to her talk more about why she thinks Studdard could have taken the Idol crown from her in the video below.

Save this article!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new articles & videos from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

About the Author

Miranda Raye

Hello, I'm Miranda, a lifelong country music fan! There are old home videos of me in my baby swing, swinging along to Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Sheltonโ€™s โ€œRockinโ€™ Years.โ€ Being able to unite my passions for storytelling, researching, and music into my work has been a dream come true.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.