“American Idol”: Carrie Underwood makes history and replaces Katy Perry
Carrie Underwood, winner of the fourth season of “American Idol,” is returning to the show. The Grammy winner will replace Katy Perry on the judging panel.
Clay Aiken’s son Parker is his mini-me!
The former “American Idol” star was joined by his 15-year-old son Parker Foster Aiken for his television debut on “Celebrity Family Feud,” which aired Tuesday.
In addition to Clay Aiken’s mother and brother, Jaymes Foster, Parker’s mother and Clay Aiken’s best friend, was also there. The family competed against the family of David Foster and Katharine McPhee in the successful spin-off show “Family Feud” with Steve Harvey as host.
The families are also connected because Jaymes Foster is David Foster’s sister and David Foster served as executive producer on three of Aiken’s albums.
Parker came up with some clever answers, including winning the question “Name a famous Tom a girl would love to go to prom with” by suggesting Tom Holland despite Harvey’s skepticism. Aiken’s family ultimately took the win for their charity, the National Inclusion Project.
Aiken first rose to fame on Season 2 of American Idol, finishing as runner-up, as did McPhee on Season 5. Aiken’s season was won by Ruben Studdard, while McPhee’s season was won by Taylor Hicks.
All 22 winners of “American Idol” ranked. How does your favorite taste?
Aiken first announced the birth of his son on his blog in 2008. “My dear friend Jaymes and I are thrilled to announce the birth of Parker Foster Aiken,” he wrote at the time. Shortly thereafter, Aiken came out as gay in a profile in People magazine.
Aiken has been open about how his public coming out has affected him. During a June investigation into allegations of LGBTQ discrimination against “American Idol,” he told Rolling Stone that he credits the show with introducing him to his first boyfriend and giving him space to work things out.
“If I hadn’t been on ‘Idol,’ I don’t even want to say I wouldn’t have come out,” he said. “I hope to God I would have, but I certainly wouldn’t have found that out on my own for many, many years.”
He also reflected on the years of obsession he had with his sexuality before coming out.
“I’ve never given an interview where someone didn’t ask me if I was gay,” he said. Confirmation of his sexual orientation “was the only thing anyone in the press wanted.”
The fixation was everywhere, especially among comedians, he said.
“Whenever I heard someone tell a gay joke on a sitcom or late-night show, I would hold my breath because I knew my name was going to come up,” he said. “Eighty percent of the time, I was right.”
