Add American Idol 2 runner-up Clay Aiken to the fans of CBS's The Amazing Race. In an interview with MTV, Clay said that his original reality-show goal was to compete in Jerry Bruckheimer's Emmy-winning round-the-world competition.

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Fortunately for Clay's future career prospects (anyone hear from The Amazing Race 1 winners Rob and Brennan lately?), he was talked into appearing on American Idol 2 instead -- and he launched a recording career that led him to a platinum single and a #1 album.

According to the article, Clay remains close to the other members of the final three on American Idol 2. Clay and third-place finisher Kimberly Locke are now sharing space in L.A., and Clay and Idol winner Ruben Studdard remain close friends despite the media vision of Clay and Ruben as rivals. We daresay that Clay wouldn't be as close to The Amazing Race 2's Wil and Tara or TAR3's Flo and Zack ... but we have little doubt that CBS would welcome Clay and Ruben as contestants in The Amazing Race 5.