Simon Cowell Reflects On Kelly Clarkson Celebrating ‘American Idol’ Win 20 Years Later

This past Sunday marked 20 years since Kelly Clarkson became the first “American Idol” winner! After Tuesday night’s taping of “America’s Got Talent,” Simon Cowell told Access Hollywood it was “the best feeling” to have had a hand in the singer’s success, adding that her story is a “great example of finding a star.” The “AGT” judge also recalled his memories of Kelly’s “Idol” audition, a famously silly one and where Kelly jokingly traded places with Randy Jackson! “We were just in one of those crazy moods … She must have thought, ‘What have I walked into?’ We weren’t paying any attention. But we really liked her personality,” he shared in part. “AGT” airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8/7c on NBC, with the finale airing Sept. 13 and Sept. 14.