People.com Entertainment Music 'American Idol' Contestant Who Had Never Been Kissed Says Katy Perry Smooch Was 'Uncomfortable' "I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately," Idol hopeful Benjamin Glaze told The New York Times By Jeff Nelson Jeff Nelson Instagram Twitter Jeff Nelson is a Staff Editor at PEOPLE. For nearly a decade, he has worked across the brand's entertainment verticals, reporting on breaking news and writing and editing across platforms, as well as securing A-list cover exclusives, including Barry Manilow's coming out and an at-home interview with Madonna. Jeff has appeared as an expert on Good Morning America, Extra, HLN and SiriusXM, as well as at RuPaul's DragCon as a moderator. He studied magazine journalism at Drake University, graduating with a B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 14, 2018 03:40 PM Share Tweet Pin Email He kissed a girl … and he didn’t like it. On the season premiere of American Idol, judge Katy Perry greeted 19-year-old contestant Benjamin Glaze — who had never been kissed — with a playful peck on the lips. “I was a tad bit uncomfortable,” Glaze, a cashier from Enid, Oklahoma, told The New York Times in a new interview. “I wanted to save it for my first relationship. I wanted it to be special.” The audition for the Idol reboot was filmed in October but did not air until Sunday night on ABC. Mark Levine/ABC “Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no,” Glaze said. “I know a lot of guys would be like, ‘Heck yeah!’ But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.” Katy Perry Laughs Off Wardrobe Malfunction on American Idol The unwanted kiss occurred after Glaze entered the audition room and judge Luke Bryan referenced Perry’s 2008 hit “I Kissed a Girl,” asking: “Have you kissed a girl and liked it?” Glaze said he hadn’t, adding, “I have never been in a relationship and I can’t kiss a girl without being in a relationship.” Perry proceeded to beckon to Glaze, telling him, “Come here.” Glaze approached the pop star, said “One on the cheek?” and gave Perry a smooch on the face before she quickly planted one on his mouth. ABC ABC Katy Perry Surprises Teen American Idol Contestant with His First Smooch Glaze told the Times he does not view the kiss as sexual harassment and actually appreciated the added screen time, as his audition did not advance him to the competition’s next round in Hollywood. “So in that way,” he told the newspaper, “I’m glad she did it because it’s a great opportunity to get my music out.” A rep for American Idol did not comment. A rep for Perry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.