Clay Aiken is set to star as Sir Robin in Monty Python’s “Spamalot”. He will make his debut on January 18th. Quoted on Page Six, Aiken said he wasn’t really familiar with the show:

“I thought Monty Python was a person until three months ago… The first time I saw it I thought it was the stupidest thing I’d ever seen in my entire life,” he said. “My tour drummer is the Spamalot drummer, and [he] said you’ve got to see it again.”

Clay Aiken was the runner-up behind Ruben Studdard on Season Two of American Idol and has been the most successful second place finisher to date. His debut CD, “Measure of a Man,” sold more than 600,000 copies in a single week. Clay has maintained a loyal fan base through the years and they have dubbed themselves “Claymates”. Many think his style of singing was really MADE for Broadway so it will be interesting to see how he does.

In other recent news, Clay was clearly not having a good day when interviewed by NEWSWEEK’s Ramin Setoodeh. Half way through the interview, Ramin asked Clay about the Kelly Ripa incident and the fight that Clay had with a lady on a plane.

NEWSWEEK: How’s the “Spamalot” rehearsing going?
Clay Aiken: I’m sore. I couldn’t even get off the toilet the other day. It hurts so bad. I don’t know if it’s I’m not coordinated or using muscles I never had to use before.

Like what?
My legs. Having to remember three, four, five [taps feet]. I can’t move and think at the same time.

Did you know your socks don’t match?
I have a bunch of striped socks. It’s too difficult to match them, so now I just pick up two in the morning. Even if I wear a tux to an awards show, the socks never match.

Stay away from Joan Rivers.
Well, she probably doesn’t like me. I don’t have style.

Who helps you?
It’s a team of highly trained professionals [who] make me look halfway decent every day. It’s pretty sad I can’t dress myself still at 30 years old.

Is that really how old you are?
No, I’m 29. But I feel old enough to call myself 30.

Did you ever do musical theater?
I was cut from my high-school musical, “Guys and Dolls.”

What role?
Anything. Dancing bush would’ve been fine. But I didn’t even get it.

Why did you decide to do Broadway?
I’d been asked a number of times to do this show or that show. A lot of people saw it as a good match–I’m starting to realize maybe it wasn’t–and I always had something else to do. I think the thing that attracted me to this show is how different it was and anti-Broadway it is. I barely sing. They’ve written some new parts for me to sing a little. But it gives me the opportunity to try different things.

Have you seen “Spamalot”?
The first time I saw it I thought it was the stupidest thing I’d ever seen in my entire life. My tour drummer is the “Spamalot” drummer, and [he] said you’ve got to see it again.

Are you a Python fan?
I thought Monty Python was a person until three months ago.

Do you think the Claymates will come see you?
They’ll be there in full force. I hope they behave.

Are they rowdy?
Sometimes. They scare me every once in a while.

Do women throw their underwear on stage?
In Minneapolis, we had a lady throw her panties in the middle of “Silent Night.” I’m like, Are you kidding me? We’ve had ladies throw Depends that say, “Your older fans love you, too.”

How did you get into a fight with that lady on a plane?
I’m not going to talk about it.

I was just curious because you’ve never talked about it.
I did talk about it.

What about the Kelly Ripa thing?
I’m not going to discuss it.

Did you think it was homophobic?
I’m not going to discuss it.

What do you want to talk about?
I think we’re done.

Can we talk about something fun?
No, we’re done. I thought NEWSWEEK would be more reputable. I’m surprised.

But I think people are curious about it.
It was a year ago. This is NEWSWEEK. It’s not the National Enquirer. I’d hate to have a job where I had to be rude to people.

We’re just having a conversation.
Change the subject! I’d never take a job where I had to do something that I didn’t want to do.

What about all those Ford commercials on “American Idol”?
That wasn’t a job.

It was part of your job.
It wasn’t a Ford commercial. It was a music video. It was a completely different thing.

I’ll change the subject. What do you do for fun?
I watch the news. I read news magazines, but I’m reconsidering that now.

Are you going to watch “Idol”?
I haven’t watched since season four. I compare it to high-school football–if it weren’t for high school, we wouldn’t be successful, but I don’t need to keep going to the football games.

I do understand when people get tired of answering the same questions over and over again, but Clay could have handled it much better. He came across as a stubborn little kid rather than taking the high road and explain that he has answered these questions before, understands that the questions need to be asked, but politely declines from discussing it further because his position hasn’t changed and he doesn’t think it is newsworthy after over a year. Or he could have answered the questions with short and clear answers while simultaneously dismissing their importance and relevance.

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