They may have lost out to the likes of Kelly Clarkson and Ruben Studdard on American Idol , but runner-ups like Justin Guarini and Clay Aiken have gone on to have successful careers of their own!
Scroll through the gallery below to see what the show's second-place finishers are doing now!
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Justin Guarini (Season 1)
The 38-year-old stars in the upcoming Broadway musical, In Transit .
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Clay Aiken (Season 2)
The 37-year-old, who ran for Congress in 2014, recently appeared as a political correspondent on The View .
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Diana DeGarmo (Season 3)
This year, the 29-year-old — who's married to fellow Idol alum Ace Young — appeared in her third film, The Morning Sun .
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Bo Bice (Season 4)
The 41-year-old is performing and recording with his band, Blood, Sweat & Tears.
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Katharine McPhee (Season 5)
The 32-year-old currently stars on the CBS drama, Scorpion .
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Blake Lewis (Season 6)
The 35-year-old is performing gigs around the country.
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David Archuleta (Season 7)
The 25-year-old is releasing a new song called "Numb" on Nov. 4.
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Adam Lambert (Season 8)
The 34-year-old just wrapped up a summer festival tour with Queen.
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Crystal Bowersox (Season 9)
The 31-year-old recently wrapped a tour spanning 13 states.
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Lauren Alaina (Season 10)
The 21-year-old released a single called "Road Less Traveled" in July, and toured with singer Alan Jackson.
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Jessica Sanchez (Season 11)
The 21-year-old is currently recording her second album, and released the first single, "Call Me," in May.
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Kree Harrison (Season 12)
The 26-year-old's debut album, This Old Thing , was released in July.
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Jena Irene (Season 13)
The 20-year-old's debut album, Innocence , was released in April.
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Clark Beckham (Season 14)
The 24-year-old will soon begin touring with singer Jon Bellion.
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La'Porsha Renae (Season 15)
The 23-year-old is currently working on her debut album with Big Machine and Motown Records.
