Context: Ruben Studdard emerged as the winner, beating Clay Aiken by a small margin. Out of a total of 24 million votes, Studdard finished just 134,000 votes ahead of Aiken. This slim margin of victory was controversial due to the large number of calls that failed to get through. In an interview prior to season five, executive producer Nigel Lythgoe indicated that Aiken had led the fan voting from the wildcard week onward until the finale.

Question: Who was the season two winner of American Idol?
Answer: Ruben Studdard

Question: How many votes were cast during the final week?
Answer: 24 million

Question: Who was the runner up on season two of American Idol?
Answer: Clay Aiken

Question: How many votes did Ruben Studdard win by?
Answer: 134,000

Question: What was the name of the shows executive producer?
Answer: Nigel Lythgoe

Question: Who won season two?
Answer: Ruben Studdard

Question: Who was the runner up for season two?
Answer: Clay Aiken

Question: How many more votes did Studdard have at the finale?
Answer: 134,000

Question: How many votes were cast for the finale?
Answer: 24 million

Question: Who did Nigel Lythgoe say was a fan favorite for the majority of the season?
Answer: Clay Aiken