Kelly Clarkson Reveals Her Career Doubts Following 'American Idol' Win

Kelly Clarkson did not think she was going to be a superstar after winning the first season of [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Kelly Clarkson did not think she was going to be a superstar after winning the first season of American Idol. During Friday's episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, she sat down with Andy Cohen to talk about his new documentary series on the history of reality television and they talked about the competition show that made her a star. Since Clarkson won Idol in 2002, she has been one of the most successful winners in the show's history, alongside Carrie Underwood.

"When you won that show, did you think [your] career would be as big as it turned out?" Cohen, 52, asked Clarkson, 38. She immediately shook her head. "I thought, 'I'm going to be the most famous cocktail waitress in Texas,'" Clarkson said with a laugh. Earlier in her interview with Cohen, she recalled how it felt to be a part of the first Idol season. "There was so much that was so pure and raw," she said. "Nobody knew, not even the people doing the show knew if it would work or not in America."

Cohen's latest production is For Real: The Story of Reality TV, a seven-part series that looks into the history of American reality television history. He also covered Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Mama June, and the Real Housewives franchise, as well as competition shows like Idol. The first episode premiered on Thursday on E! Network. Of course, Cohen had a hand in shaping reality TV formats himself as the executive producer on Bravo's Real Housewives franchise.

"I absolutely loved the idea of looking back. I lived it on several levels — as a fan, as a producer," Cohen told Entertainment Weekly. "It just seemed like a bullseye topic to dive into." The first episode covered KUWTK, and Cohen taped interviews with Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, and Kourtney Kardashian. He also reunited cast members from The Real World and interviewed Vivica A. Fox and Omarosa Manigault on their experiences on The Apprentice.

As for Clarkson, she has had one of the most successful post-Idol careers. In addition to hosting her own Emmy-winning daytime talk show, she is also a coach on NBC's The Voice. She also has two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album and one for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Since U Been Gone." Clarkson will be missing from the March 29 episode of The Voice though, with Kelsea Ballerini taking her place.

Trending Now: