'American Idol' hopeful calls kiss with Katy Perry 'uncomfortable'

By Lesley Messer

After "American Idol" hopeful Benjamin Glaze told judge Katy Perry that he had never been kissed in the show's premiere episode, she surprised him by planting one on his lips before his audition.

In a new interview with The New York Times, Glaze acknowledged that while some men would have been thrilled to share that moment with the pop star, he isn't one of them.

Explaining that the kiss made him "a tad bit uncomfortable," the 20-year-old cashier from Enid, Oklahoma, added that he'd "wanted to save it for my first relationship."

“Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no,” he said. “I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”

As seen in Sunday night's premiere, Glaze, who was 19 at the time of his audition, told the judges that he liked his job because it gave him license to meet "cute girls," which prompted judge Luke Bryan to ask, "Have you kissed a girl and liked it?" (One of Perry's early hits was "I Kissed a Girl.") Glaze responded that he hadn't and didn't plan to until he was attached.

Immediately, Perry beckoned him to the judge's table and surprised him with a quick kiss on the lips. The viral moment divided viewers: Some took to social media to call Glaze "lucky," though others expressed outrage that the Perry crossed a line.

ABC

Benjamin Glaze gives judge Katy Perry a kiss on "American Idol."

Glaze, who did not make it to the next round of competition, told the Times that he did not feel sexually harassed by Perry and said he's grateful that the moment led to more publicity for his music.

He's also decided, he added, that the kiss "didn't really count."

Mark Levine/ABC

Benjamin Glaze tries out for "American Idol."

“It was lip contact versus a romantic situation with someone you care about," he noted. "That’s what a real first kiss is.”

A representative for the show did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

??#BenjaminGlaze #AmericanIdol pic.twitter.com/0XbA18LmRr

— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) March 12, 2018

Hi everyone, I would like to clear a few things up for everyone who is confused, concerned, Or angry. I am not complaining about the kiss from Katy Perry at all, doing a few news reports and being interviewed by many different reporters have caused some major questions. The way certain articles are worded is not done by me and my true intentions are not accurately represented in every article you read about the situation. I am not complaining about the kiss I am very honored and thankful to be apart of American Idol the main purpose for the show is to find stars and new music artist. I do wish i would have performed better in the moment. I should have picked another song to sing and calmed myself down regardless of the kiss i should have been able to perform under pressure. I do not think i was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and i am thankful for the judges comments and critiques. I was uncomfortable in a sense of how i have never been kissed before and was not expecting it. My main goal is to reach people through the universal love of music and not cause strife or anger against anyone or about any situation! Please take into consideration that I don’t believe my views have been appropriately communicated through the media! Thank you for everyone who has followed me in this journey and i hope i answered a few questions. #americanidol #katyperry #music

A post shared by Ben Issac Glaze (@benjaminglaze) on Mar 14, 2018 at 2:32pm PDT