"Clay's The Man" Says Insider's Spencer; Interview TOMORROW

The Insider's Laura Spencer did another fantastic piece on Clay today which you can stream from The Insider's website. They posted this article along with the video. Don't forget to tune in TOMORROW (Friday) to see more of The Insider's exclusive sit down interview with Clay.

Clay's the Man!

CLAY AIKEN may be getting a lot of coverage in the tabloids, but he's always happy for the chance to sing, and grateful to his devoted fans who call themselves Clay-mates!

"It was hard to deal with at first because I was like, 'What? Clay-mates?'" he reveals to our LARA SPENCER. "But, you know, you gotta love 'em. They're very loyal and supportive, so I'm very grateful."

The once-gawky Raleigh kid who debuted three years ago on "American Idol" has a legion of fans, better known as the "Clay Nation." But he modestly says he has "no idea" why they adore him. Could it be the new hair?

"I don't recognize myself right now," he says about his new bangs. "I still haven't gotten used to this whole thing. It's a process. The whole transformation from ugly to not-as-ugly happened very slowly," he jokes.

But Clay gets serious when talking about his journey since "Idol."

"It's hard to do this business without maturing a little. I'm much more savvy now. I'm much more aware of my surroundings, of business. I was showing vacation pictures, and there comes a point where I've realized, you know, give them an inch, they'll take a mile!"

Part of that is the public fascination with his sexuality, which he addresses in the new issue of People, on stands tomorrow.

"What do you say [to that question]?" he tells the magazine. "It's like when I was eight. I remember something would get broken in the house, and Mom and Dad would call me in and say, 'Did you do this?' Well, it didn't matter what I said. The only thing they would believe was yes. ... People are going to believe what they want."

To Lara, he says, "I understand 'Clay Aiken leads a really boring life' is not a good headline and you have to sell a paper. I'm trying to get to that point where I just don't care anymore. You can't change people's minds, and I want to sing. That's what I like doing and I enjoy my job. I guess I hate to say it, but you gotta take the good with the bad, because sometimes it's baaaad."

Tune in tomorrow, for more of our exclusive sit-down with Clay!

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