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Of course it’s no major bombshell to hear Adam Lambert openly admitting that he’s gay, but good for him for holding out for the cover of Rolling Stone. Go big or go home, right? The American Idol runner-up tells the music magazine, “Right after the finale, I almost started talking about it to the reporters, but I thought, ‘I’m going to wait for Rolling Stone, that will be cooler.’ “

“I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I’m gay.”

Lambert also takes the opportunity to poke a subtle jab at another former runner-up. “I didn’t want the Clay Aiken thing and the celebrity-magazine bullshit. I need to be able to explain myself in context,” Adam asserts.

Clay’s diss aside, Adam has signed deals with both RCA Recordings and 19 Entertainment and said the following in a statement, “We are 100 percent on the same page and are all anxiously awaiting the start of the recordings. It’s going to be ridiculous! Get Ready!!!”

Ooh, three exclamation points? This ought to be good.

Gallery Info: Adam Lambert on the cover of Rolling Stone & making an appearance on Live with Regis & Kelly.