At her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday, Kelly Clarkson’s American Idol family showed up in force to celebrate the singer and talk show host. The original judges, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell, were present to support the homage to Clarkson.
As Clarkson proudly showed her award and solidified her place in Hollywood history, the trio posed for pictures with her.
At the event, Cowell gave a speech in which he praised Clarkson for her success since winning the singing competition in its first season.
“We were just talking about the moment when you sang ‘Respect,’ and we all looked at each other, and it was like, ‘Oh. My. God. Thank you.’ And then, I went up to you, afterwards, because obviously, I was thinking, ‘I think you’re gonna win this show,’ and I said, ‘I just wanna say, that was amazing, Kelly, and I’m here,’ and you turned around to me and said, ‘Simon, without being rude, I would rather we didn’t talk until the end of the series,’ and I’m like, ‘Wow, what does that mean?’ It means, stay away from me. I know what I’m doing,'” Cowell said as he recalled Clarkson’s time on American Idol.
Clarifying the situation, Clarkson told Cowell that she didn’t want it to seem like she was receiving any special treatment from the judges and that she also didn’t want Cowell, who is well known for his harsh criticism of the program, to influence her.
“What was amazing from that moment was, is that you’re not messing around. You’re gonna take this opportunity, and you’re gonna get all the way to the end, and then when you get to the end, it’s just beginning,” he continued. “And I remember that moment when your name was called and I was — I was honestly thinking to myself, ‘Thanks to you, we may have another season.’ I can honestly say to you, ‘Thanks to you, I’m here today.'”
Cowell went on to express his gratitude to Clarkson for helping to advance not just his career but also American Idol, which has already had eighteen seasons since its start in 2002.
“I said that, because you validated what we did, because if we didn’t find a star, there’s no point in doing these shows. ” the former American Idol judge shared. “And I could never predict what was gonna happen then, and I remember sitting there talking to the record label at the time, I said, ‘I don’t think you realize who you signed here, this girl has steel in her eyes.'”
Cowell added, “I always say if someone knows their lane, you’re gonna be a star, if you got the talent. And Kelly has always known her lane.”
Her mother, daughter River, 8, and son Remington, 6, all attended the wedding with Clarkson and her family.
On her feelings regarding the award, Clarkson informed the audience that she was grateful for the 20 years of honest feedback from the panel of judges and her staff.
Clarkson was positioned directly between the stars of Harry Potter and Deadpool, a location that, in her words, “could not be better representations” of her personality: “magic and sarcasm.”