Clay may look like a pushover, but TV's Mr. Nice Guy is about to show a different side
They said he was robbed, but Clay Aiken is feeling stronger than ever following his controversial defeat on American Idol. The singing sensation--whose loss to Ruben Studdard caused a national outcry--broke hs silence in an exclusive interview with In Touch.

"I'm definitely ambitious," Clay insisted, talking from his current base in LA. He added defiantly, "I came out almost as well as Ruben."

Clay's mom, Faye, said, "I want these young kids who are crying becaue he didn't win to feel better because he got what he wanted, and he is a winner. Clayton's happy and I'm happy." And he has good reason to be. The 24-year-old, who hails from Raleigh, NC, recently landed a lucrative deal with RCA records, and his debut CD, This is the Night, is easily outselling Ruben's Flying Without Wings in advance orders on Amazon.com.

Staying positive
Idol's grand finale, which drew more than 28 million viewers, was marred by complaints that people could not get through to vote for Clay. But the humble hero refused to be drawn into the scandal, saying he was focusing only on the positive.

"I've been busier since the show's been over than I was when we were on the show," Clay told In Touch, insisting he has no plans to slow down his hectic schedule.

"I don't think about how close it was," he said. "It's not frustrating at all. If I had won, people would be saying, 'Did the right man win?' too. I appreciate that people wanted me to win."

This week, Ruben's family launched an attack on Clay, branding him a sore loser and a sissy. Brian Studdard, Ruben's uncle, stormed, "Clay is a bad loser. He had pink and white furniture in his room. He's not the sort of guy you'd choose to be an American Idol."

The singer's aunt, Sylvia Studdard, added, "I don't care if he's outselling Ruben in the charts. People should just accept it. He didn't win and he's not the American Idol--Ruben is."

Moving forward
Nevertheless, Clay had nothing but praise for his singing buddy. Asked if Ruben minded the attention he is getting, Clay replied, "He seems to be fine with it."

Later this year, Clay plans to move to LA permanently, a perfect place to jump-start his career. He wants to share an apartment with close pal Kimberly Locke, who came in third on the show. In the meantime, Clay managed to squeeze in a quick trip home and hit the beach without getting mobbed by fans.

"As far as I'm concerned, I got to win too," he said of the experience. Talk about a perfect gentleman.

Sidebar: Clay's all heart
Despite his superstar status, Clay isn't letting fame go to his head.

The kind-hearted singer--who has worked for years with children affected by autism--is setting up a charity for youngsters with special needs.

Diane Bubel, whose 13-year-old son, Mike, was looked after by Clay, told In Touch, "I'm just pinching myself--did all of this really happen to him?"

Clay's interest in helping the disabled has resulted in an increase in donations to his two pet causes, the YMCA and the Autism Society. He has vowed to continue raising money and awareness.