"American Idol" alum Sanjaya Malakar didn't entirely win over Simon Cowell during his run on the hit FOX show -- but now it seems the acid-tongued judge is ready to make nice... and Sanjaya is ready try his hand as a star of commercials.

"Hello, Sanjaya. In a strange way, I sort of miss you," Cowell says in a video to Malakar, via "Extra." A surprised Sanjaya replied, "Well, thank you, Simon, I kind of miss you too!" *sniff*

Sanjaya was known for his crazy hairdos (remember the ponyhawk?) during his run on "Idol" -- now he's putting his styling "expertise" to good use! In a new commercial for Nationwide Mutual Insurance, he'll be singing and changing his infamous tresses several times. When asked about products he uses to style his mane, Malakar revealed, "I actually prefer water. Mousse and gel are gross. Make my hair all crusty."

Click here to check out Sanjaya's Nationwide commercial!

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