Dim the lights, Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken have an American Idol pitch.
As Katy Perry prepares for her final episodes on the reality competition show, the season two alums are throwing their hats in the ring to replace her at the judges’ table.
“I would love it if they called me,” Ruben, who won season two of Idol, recently told E! News during a joint interview with Clay. “But I think that in any way that I can go back and give advice to the young people that are going through the show, I do that readily and I’m thankful for the opportunity to do that anytime.”
Clay, who was the runner-up in 2003, also expressed interest in sitting alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, and he even teased what kind of judge he would be.
“I would be tough,” he shared, crediting his son Parker. “I got a teenager now.”
However, as Clay explained, there’s a difference between “being mean and being honest,” noting that he and fellow contestants “appreciated” what former judge Simon Cowell brought to the table.
“While, yes, Simon was often looking for ways to say things that would get attention,” the 45-year-old continued. “He was also giving advice that we could use.”
