Kelly Clarkson is still waiting on that ‘American Idol’ prize nearly 25 years after winning the show

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Nearly a quarter-century after she sang her way to victory on the very first season of 'American Idol,' Kelly Clarkson says one big part of the deal still hasn’t shown up.

The original champ of the hit reality singing competition revealed this week that the flashy prize package of $1 million and a car that viewers thought she won never quite materialized.

Clarkson dropped the bombshell during a Tuesday, March 10 episode of 'The Kelly Clarkson Show' while chatting with guests Rob Rausch and Daniel Radcliffe. 

The $1 million prize that wasn’t

The revelation surfaced when Rausch (who recently won Season 4 of 'The Traitors') mentioned he hasn’t yet received his $220,800 prize pot from the murder-mystery competition.

Clarkson found the situation all too familiar. “I relate to this so hard core because whenever I won, you probably weren't alive when I was on 'American Idol,' but I literally was on the show, and they were like, 'Oh, you win a million dollars or whatever.' No, you didn't. They lied,” Clarkson told Rausch and Radcliffe.

According to Clarkson, the prize wasn’t exactly a straight-up cash payout. Instead of a $1 million check landing in her lap, she said the show essentially offered her “a $1 million worth of investment in you.”

Clarkson said a car that was promised to her also never arrived. “And then they said you get a car,” Clarkson shared, adding, “And I needed it ’cause my car was bashed in and I couldn’t afford the deductible. And then, no! I did not get a car!”

That missing vehicle apparently stung even more when she later learned about what happened during Season 2. Clarkson recalled discovering that both runner-up Clay Aiken and his mother had received cars.

““I remember Clay telling me that the second season. He was like, ‘Yeah, they gave my mom one.’ I was like, ‘I’m going to actually kick your a— right now.’”

Clarkson then jokingly warned Rausch not to assume his winning prize will arrive quickly. “But you know what? Hope you got enough TV time,” she said.

Radcliffe suggested that reality shows should create a system to compensate early winners when prizes improve over time. “There should be some system where, like, if you win something on the first season of something, whatever the prize has become, you should retroactively get that,” he said.

From Idol rookie to global sensation

Despite the missing car and no cash prize, Clarkson did quite well for herself after her reality-show breakthrough.

The Texas native was just 20 when she competed on the inaugural season of 'American Idol.' She ultimately won the show’s finale in September 2002 after impressing judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson throughout the season.

One standout moment came when Clarkson belted out 'At Last' by Etta James. On the finale night, she sealed her victory with performances of 'Respect' by Aretha Franklin and her original songs 'A Moment Like This' and 'Before Your Love.'

Clarkson quickly transformed her TV win into a massive music career. She scored several hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including chart-toppers like 'Since U Been Gone' and 'Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You).'

Over the years, she’s picked up three Grammy Awards and even landed a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Clarkson also stayed close to television, serving as a coach on 'The Voice' for 10 seasons and winning four of them before launching her daytime talk series, 'The Kelly Clarkson Show,' in 2019.

Still, the singer joked that something from her breakout victory is technically overdue.

“Come on, American Idol,” Clarkson said. “It’s time to give Clarkson her car.”