Simon Cowell Declares Kelly Clarkson the 'Perfect' Winner on 'American Idol'

As much of America would likely agree, Simon Cowell thinks they got it right the first time.

The American Idol judge says that one “couldn’t have asked for a more perfect winner” on the long-running reality competition series than its very first frontrunner, even 23 years—and 22 more winners—later.

Cowell sat down with the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast late last year, where he reminisced about the “dream”-like process of establishing Kelly Clarkson’s reign, which likely came as a great relief after his initial concerns that the show would end up as one big “disaster.”

As Auditions Kicked Off, Cowell Had Little Faith in the Series’ Success

In the first few rounds of auditions, there were apparently few to no prospects, with Cowell bluntly calling everyone “terrible,” but when all was said and done, they had found the person that people call *the* American Idol to this day in round one.

He went on to share, “And we’re still friends today. She’s [an] amazing person, incredible personality. And just this killer voice. It was like a movie.”

The ‘Killer Voice’ Keeps Fans on Their Toes All These Years Later

Fans couldn’t agree more, hanging onto every bit of musical content from the singer-turned-talk show host with rapt attention. Fans have “stopped everything” over an unexpected key change, and praise every “magical” Kellyoke cover—many of which they say they didn’t even like until she put her own twist on it—on her eponymous talk show, even coining a new term to describe the act of the “Behind These Hazel Eyes” singer singing—and therefore taking ownership—of someone else’s song: They say the original artist got “Kelly Clarksoned.”

It’s a “terrifying honor” for many songwriters, as fans often joke that the original artists “lost custody” of their tracks after Clarkson gets her hands on them, but for budding stars, it’s a “major win.”

The Record Producer Is Looking to Capitalize on His Past Success Stories

Meanwhile, Cowell is aiming to recreate some of his former success in his Netflix series, Simon Cowell: The Next Act. In addition to helping to launch Clarkson’s career, Cowell is responsible for the success of One Direction, Fifth Harmony, and Il Divo, and is on the hunt for his next big boy band in the new docuseries.

Related: Pop Singer Celebrates ‘Surviving the Kelly Clarkson Curse’ as Fans Say She Found the One Artist She ‘Can’t Outdo’