Already have an account?

I agree to the terms of the Terms and Conditions,
the Privacy Policy and receive emails from Life & Style

Kelly Clarkson Sings ‘A Moment Like This’ 12 Years After Winning ”American Idol’ — So Where’s the Rest of the Season 1 Cast Today?

Dec 11, 2014 11:59 am·

'Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like thiiiiiiiiiis…'

If you were a kid livin' it up in 2002, chances are you loved American Idol. During that year, season 1 premiered and delivered us the perfect winner — Kelly Clarkson.

Twelve years after she performed 'A Moment Like This' on stage and accepted her win, the now mother-of-one gave the emotional song a go again at the Miss Vietnam competition in Phu Quoc, Vietnam over the weekend.

Needless to say, she nailed it.

Deal of the Day

This ‘Slimming’ Suit is Just $16 Today! View Deal

But then it reminded us: What ever happened to the rest of the contestants on season 1? More importantly, what ever happened to BRIAN DUNKLEMAN?!

Watch Kelly's performance below — and click through to see the cast now!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC6yZi8Sxow

1 of 15

Kelly Clarkson, 35 — Winner

As if you need a reminder of Kelly's success! Three Grammy wins and seven No. 1 singles later, she and Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood are the most successful Idol contestants to date. In October 2013, she married talent manager Brandon Blackstock, and the pair has two children together.

2 of 15

Justin Guarini, 38 — Runner-Up

Four words: From Justin to Kelly. Justin released an album with RCA following his Idol success. Since then, he's kept busy on TV and Broadway. He most recently starred in the musical, In Transit.

3 of 15

Nikki McKibbin, 38 — Third Place

The rocker's debut album was released in 2007. Seven years later, she accompanied her son, Tristan, to Idol's Season 13 auditions.

4 of 15

Tamyra Gray, 38 — Fourth Place

Remember how angry viewers were when she was kicked off before Nikki?! Don't worry — this talented girl made a name for herself in the music industry. She's written songs for Jessica Simpson and Kristinia DeBarge. Her biggest accomplishment? Welcoming daughter Sienna Marie in 2010.

5 of 15

R.J. Helton, 36 — Fifth Place

The cutie went on to record a Christian album titled Real Life, which landed in the Top 20 of the Billboard Christian charts.

6 of 15

Christina Christian, 36 — Sixth Place

Now a married mom, the beauty lives in Florida, where she works as an IT consultant. She also performs at local events.

7 of 15

Ryan Starr, 34 — Seventh Place

Shortly after her Idol stint, the gal with the killer abs released her song "My Religion" in 2004, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Digital Songs Chart. She then started a band called Aces.

8 of 15

A.J. Gil, 33 — Eighth Place

According to his Facebook page, the crooner became a certified sound engineer, starred in an independent film (Destination Fame), and made the decision to focus on singing and songwriting following his Idol appearance. He currently has a Gospel R&B album in the works.

9 of 15

Jim Verraros, 34 — Ninth Place

In 2004, the singer released his album, Unsaid and Understood. One year later, Koch Records revamped the record and released it as Rollercoaster. He released several dance tracks, including "You Turn It On" — a Top 25 Billboard Hot Club/Dance Chart hit. Jim married his longtime boyfriend, Bill Brennan, in 2009.

10 of 15

EJay Day, 35 — Tenth Place

And to think he may not have been on the live show to begin with! After producers found out that Delano Cagnolati lied about his age, they replaced him with EJay — who was the first contestant voted off. The crooner kept singing, and was even booked as a performer on a couple of different cruise lines.

11 of 15

Ryan Seacrest, 42 — The Host for All Seasons

Does he really need an introduction? What HASN'T Ryan done since he made a name for himself on the singing competition in 2002?! After Idol's initial run ended in 2016, he became a co-host on Kelly Ripa's morning talk show and has remained focused on his hit radio program, On Air with Ryan Seacrest.

12 of 15

Simon Cowell, 57 — Judge (Seasons 1-9)

He made you laugh, but he mainly made thousands of Idol hopefuls cry. Reportedly worth an estimated $550 million, the television producer, record exec, and entrepreneur has definitely done okay for himself since leaving the show in 2011. And he became a first-time father to son Eric in 2014.

13 of 15

Paula Abdul, 55 — Judge (Seasons 1-8)

Though she left the show before Simon did, the pair would eventually reunite when she joined him on the U.S. version of The X Factor in 2011. She recently served as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance for two seasons.

14 of 15

Randy Jackson, 61 — Judge (Seasons 1-12)

The record producer/bassist/all around musician know-it-all kept it real during his time on the show. He served as the series' in-house mentor for Season 13 before leaving the competition behind permanently.

15 of 15

Brian Dunkleman, 45 — The "You Forgot He Existed" Host (Season 1)

After quitting the series, the comedian focused on his standup career. He's now married and has a three-year-old son named Jackson.