Former “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell helped the reality singing competition become the huge success it is today, and fans loved seeing him as a judge on the show. In 2002, “American Idol” crowned its first winner, Kelly Clarkson, and she has become a gigantic star.
Simon Cowell Praises Kelly Clarkson
GettyThere have been some incredible and memorable winners from “American Idol,” but Clarkson is undeniably one of the most successful stars to emerge from the show. From an impressive music career to her very own talk show, she is loved by fans for her talents and personality. Cowell reflected on her win in an interview with Rolling Stone on November 24.
Clarkson’s inclusion on “American Idol” ultimately made it successful in its first season, and Cowell is thrilled they found her. “Oh, it was like a dream,” he told the publication in response to a question about getting it right with Clarkson. “I do remember actually saying to someone, hypothetically, ‘I’m certain there’s someone out there and he or she’s probably working in a bar, has tried to get a deal, can’t get into the right people or the label, but is brilliant.’ I just had that feeling. It took a while to get there. Some of the early people we saw in the first couple of cities — everyone was terrible. So I thought this show could be a disaster.”
Cowell may initially have had concerns about the level of talent who would sign on for the singing competition, but Clarkson changed everything. “You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect winner,” he said of Clarkson. “And we’re still friends today. She’s a amazing person, incredible personality. And just this killer voice. It was like a movie. I just wish it wasn’t the guy. There was this other girl, Tamara, and she was phenomenal, and the two of them in the final [episode], that could have been amazing, but it didn’t quite work out.”
Simon Cowell Discusses Competitors on ‘American Idol’
GettyIn the finale of Season 1, Clarkson went up against Justin Guarini for the win. Cowell also commented on Guarini, who has had some success in the industry but not on the same level as Clarkson. Cowell told Rolling Stone that Guarini had not been good enough competition for Clarkson, adding, “I think he would be the first to admit it himself.”
But you don’t always have to win a competition to have a successful career. Jennifer Hudson is the perfect example of this. She competed on Season 3 of “American Idol” and was voted off before the finals. When asked whether her early elimination indicated a problem with the show’s process, Cowell reflected on it and said Hudson’s elimination was the result of a song choice.
“I said, ‘don’t sing that song — I just don’t think it’s gonna resonate,’” Cowell, who is also a judge on “America’s Got Talent,” said. “So when it happened, yeah, there was an uproar because she was so good. In a weird way, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to her because there was such an outcry that she got that part in [Dreamgirls]. What was so funny was everybody thought I was somehow responsible for her being voted out. I wasn’t the one who was voting!”
