The Velvet Teddy Bear told CNN that he rarely gets the chance to see American Idol these days.

He's on the road in the play Ain't Misbehavin, in which he plays legendary composer Fats Waller. And since his days on the show, Ruben Studdard has had four CD projects, including a gospel album.

The season two winner says he knows exactly what Adam Lambert and Kris Allen are experiencing in tonight's American Idol finale. His advice, according to the CNN interview: "Just be prepared for all of the work. It might seem like it's a lot of work while they are on the show, but they have no idea what's about to happen to them. I was on a conference with some of the winners recently and that's exactly what we all talked about. Your life will never be the same.''

See a Z on TV blog post about last night's American Idol here.