Winning the very first season of American Idol was supposed to come with some pretty nice perks.
According to Kelly Clarkson, however, at least two of those perks never actually materialized.
Which is — not ideal.
During the latest episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson revealed that the reality competition never delivered the prizes that were advertised when she won the series back in 2002.
Specifically, Kelly says she did not receive the $1 million prize that viewers believed the winner would take home.
Because, producers explained, that wasn’t really the prize. Apparently, Ms. Clarkson failed to read the fine print.
(Yes, Kelly recently announced that she’s ending her talk show, so she might be feeling more honest than usual these days.)
While discussing reality show winnings with The Traitors fan favorite Rob Rausch, Kelly revealed that producers don’t always deliver on their promises.
“They were like, ‘Oh, you win a million dollars,’ or whatever. No, you didn’t. They lied. It was like a million dollars’ worth of investment in you,” she recalled (via Page Six).
According to Clarkson, the promised “million dollars” was actually a million dollars’ worth of investment in her career, rather than a literal check.
So yes — technically a million dollars. Just not the kind you can put in your bank account.
And that wasn’t the only disappointment.
Clarkson also says she was promised a brand-new car after winning the competition. But that never showed up either.
At the time, the singer says she desperately needed one because her own vehicle had been damaged — and she couldn’t afford the deductible to fix it.
“They said you get a car. And I needed it because my car was bashed in, and I couldn’t afford the deductible. And then — no! I did not get a car,” Kelly explained.
Needless to say, the missing car still stings. Especially after Clarkson later learned that Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken received a vehicle.
Actually, two vehicles — one for him, and one for his mom.
“I was like, what the f—?” Clarkson joked while recalling the moment she found out.
The revelation came after Rausch mentioned that he’s still waiting to receive the prize money from his own reality show victory.
It’s a situation Clarkson can sadly relate to. So maybe Rob shouldn’t hold his breath.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Clarkson’s career turned out just fine despite the questionable prize package.
After winning American Idol, she went on to become one of the show’s most successful alumni, scoring numerous hit singles, multiple Grammy Awards, and a long-running daytime talk show.
Still, a free car probably would have been nice. Just sayin’!