‘American Idol’s Justin Guarini Reflects on Loss to Kelly Clarkson: ‘Everything Worked Out’

Justin Guarini holds the distinction of being American Idol‘s first-ever runner-up, finishing second behind Kelly Clarkson in the talent competition’s inaugural season. But he has no regrets.

The 47-year-old singer reflected on his Idol loss in a recent interview with People as he promotes his new self-help book, Center Stage Confidence: How to Own Your Story and Command Any Room. The book shares lessons Guarini learned through his experiences on Idol and Broadway, including stories from other famous faces.

As for coming in second to Clarkson back in 2002, Guarini said he wasn’t upset or angry about the decision. “It was this beautifully human experience. And everything that you saw on the TV was so legitimate,” he told the outlet. “I was so happy for Kelly Clarkson.”

In fact, Guarini said he knew Clarkson was the rightful winner as he watched her perform “A Moment Like This” from the sidelines.

“I’m standing stage right in the wings with one of the executive producers. I turn to him and I’m like, ‘You know you’re going to need to hire some extra security if I win this thing,'” he recalled. “And he looks at me, he’s like, ‘Why?’ And I said, ‘Because there’s going to be a riot if I win. Do you hear what she’s doing out there with this song?'”

Justin Guarini, Kelly Clarkson; Trae Patton/NBCUniversal

Guarini said he “knew that the right thing was for Kelly to take the crown,” adding, “And she’s since proven that that was the right thing.”

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That didn’t mean Guarini didn’t want to win himself. “I’m a human being. I want to win. I want to have my moment in the sun,” he admitted. “And I’m very proud to say that in the past 25 years, I’ve had multiple moments in the sun. So I think everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”

After Idol, Guarini released his own album and even starred in the romantic comedy film From Justin to Kelly alongside Clarkson. He found success on Broadway in 2010, debuting in a stage adaptation of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Guarini went on to star in many more Broadway productions, including American Idiot, Romeo & Juliet, Wicked, and Once Upon a One More Time.

Guarini said he overcame his Idol loss and found success by leaning into confidence, something he touches on in his new book. “What I love to talk about in the book is: what would be possible for you if you no longer saw fear as an enemy, but as an ally?” he said. “What would be possible for you if you no longer saw the failures of your past, or the potential failures of your future, as an identity, but instead saw them as just an event? It’s those kinds of questions that we unpack in the book.”