Clay Aiken Admits to Being Left With ‘Scars’ After Disastrous On-Air Moment With Kelly Ripa

20 years after a live television moment with host Kelly Ripa made headlines and sparked a public debate, Clay Aiken is sharing his side of the story.

The American Idol alum, 47, sat down on the Hollywood Raw podcast on Wednesday, June 24, where he opened up about his 2006 guest co-hosting stint alongside Ripa during her Live With Regis and Kelly days.

The controversy erupted during a 2006 episode of the daytime talk show, when Aiken briefly covered Ripa’s mouth during an interview after struggling to get a word in.

“Is that a no-no?” he asked at the time. “Oh, that’s a no, no, no. Don’t know where that hand’s been, honey,” Ripa responded.

The moment quickly became a topic of conversation, prompting Ripa to revisit it on air when her co-host, Regis Philbin, returned a week later.

The situation escalated when Rosie O’Donnell later described the exchange as “homophobic” on The View, prompting Ripa to call into the show and dispute the claim.

Now, 55, Aiken admits that the aftermath of the controversy was “probably the most catastrophic week of my life.”

During the podcast, he also touched on the fact that he had not publicly come out as gay. “I was not out at the time,” Aiken said, adding that the public debate that followed left a lasting mark on him.

Even after years of occasional run-ins, Aiken said he and Ripa have never had a conversation about the incident. “Maybe I should feel bad that I have not gone up and said something myself, but she hasn’t either,” he said, adding that he’s “the one with the scars.”