Simon Cowell admits Kelly Clarkson winning American Idol was a game-changer as judges reunite

Kelly Clarkson has thrown us right back to 2002 by hosting an American Idol reunion with original judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson.

The singer also threw host Ryan Seacrest and first season runner-up Justin Guarini into the mix, and the crew reminisced about the first season of the talent show on her daytime programme The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Music mogul Simon admitted that Kelly completely changed the game when she auditioned – and later won – the first-ever series.

Speaking to his co-stars, he confessed: I actually genuinely do not believe we would be sitting here today if you hadnt entered the show that year.

The whole premise of the show was we had to find a star who was gonna sell records.

Simon continued: We found some great people that whole year but when you delivered that moment on that first live show, when you sang that winning song at the end…

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Paula finished Simons sentence, adding: It was a gamechanger.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Randy said: We looked at each other at the end, at the finale, and said, “Wow! This thing is really going to work.”

I think that was the moment that we knew.

Kellys final performance was to her original song A Moment Like This, which was written for all four of the finalists.

More: Simon Cowell

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