American Idol paved the way for reality competition shows to help everyday people achieve their dreams of music stardom.
The series premiered in 2002 on Fox with a star-studded judging panel consisting of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. American Idol‘s freshman season introduced Kelly Clarkson, who would become the show’s first breakout star.
The three judges reunited in September 2019 on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where they admitted they weren’t certain the show’s premise could work — until Clarkson walked through the door.
“I actually, genuinely do not believe we would be sitting here today if you hadn’t entered the show that year,” Cowell said.
Jackson added, “We looked at each other at the end of the finale and said, ‘Wow, this thing is really gonna work.’ I think that was the moment that we knew.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see where the American Idol winners are today.
