"I'm Still in Exhale Mode": An Interview With Last Comic Standing 3 Winner Alonzo Bodden

After all the problems, all the cancellations, all the schedule changes, Alonzo Bodden was finally named the winner of Last Comic Standing 3 Tuesday night. The segment was taped earlier in the night and announced on NBC's website, and is supposed to be shown in it's entirety on Comedy Central on Saturday.

Mike DeGeorge had the privilege of talking to the newly-crowned LCS3 champion just minutes after his victory. As one might expect, he was positively giddy throughout the interview, sounding very much like the man who has gotten exactly what he ever wanted. Join Alonzo as he talks about his experience, the challenges he faced in the new season, and what is coming up for him in the future!

RealityNewsOnline: So who won? {laughs}

Alonzo Bodden: {proudly} I did! It is official, the rumors have been confirmed!

RNO: You just got named the winner about an hour ago, right?

Alonzo: Yeah. I'm driving home, I'm not even home yet.

RNO: Do you feel vindicated now?

Alonzo: You know, in a way, yeah, that's a great word for it. Validated. Yeah, it feels good.

RNO: How was the wait, were you going nuts?

Alonzo: I wasn't going nuts. It was almost fun today, just because we knew we were done, and we knew it was going to turn out however it was going to turn out, so we were clowning around in our sets, and just laughing backstage. We were actually pretty loose, and the only time you tighten up is when you stand on stage and you get eliminations and people are walking off and then there's that moment when there's just two of us, and you're like "OK." My thing is I never really want to look at the monitor, I always want to hear Jay say it.

RNO: You deserve it! So what did you think of LCS3?

Alonzo: I truly do like all the comics and we have fun, and I know that's the "right" thing to say, but it really is the truth, I'm cool with everybody. Obviously it's a huge experience to me just to do it, and be part of it.

RNO: Did you like the house aspect better?

Alonzo: The difference with LCS2 is that it had more of a build to it, I think people were more into it, the response, it happened over a longer period and people got to know us. I think that if anything was better about LCS2, it was the build aspect. The thing I liked better about LCS3 and I think the thing that helped me in LCS3 was that it was all about the standup. And that's what I do. That's what I do, and I love doing it, and I'm glad it worked out this way.

RNO: So no more being compared to Clay Aiken?

Alonzo: No more Clay Aiken references. I am officially retired from competitive comedy. {laughs}

RNO: So will people compare you to Ruben Studdard now?

Alonzo: Yeah, I'm about 300 pounds short of Ruben, so I don't know.

RNO: Do you think it was better to have won this time than LCS2?

Alonzo: Money-wise, LCS3 was better. Publicity-wise, LCS2 was better. But I'll take it! I'm still in "exhale mode."

RNO: I can imagine, it's finally over!

Alonzo: Yeah.

RNO: Why do you think the audience picked you this time? What was different?

Alonzo: For one thing, I think my set was stronger. My final set was stronger and I think this one was more about the standup. It wasn't about, it's kind of weird, but it wasn't about building just on personality and the stuff off-stage, and again, I think that helped me, but yeah. People, from what I've been hearing and getting, people really responded to what I did, and people responded to the fact that they knew I was doing new material, because I was talking about current events, and so it was like, people were saying, "Wow, this guy is really a good comic, he's right there." So I think that was the difference this time.