Kelly Clarkson Thought “American Idol” Was Going Nowhere | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

hi my name is Kelly Clarkson and I feel. honored and super cheesy because I love. Conan about being Conan O'Brien's friend. well that's very sweet thank you very. much that's very nice and I will warn. you. Kelly it's apparently not a very. sentimental crowd tonight. I tried to just bully them into. saying something romantically make them. cry exactly do it do it you know I kept. talking about this but I was I said I. know I've met. Kelly and it was right after you burst.

into the world's attention with American. Idol you came on my late night show and. I watched the clip of it this morning I. did too and I was freaked out oh not me. winning me on your show sorry yeah oh. okay yeah yeah yeah no no I'm saying I. watched the clip of you coming on my. show yes okay I only watch things that. involve me and they said don't you want. to see Kelly the night she won I'm like. no I'm not in it.

the first thing that struck me is you. are a kid you're like a child you come. out and then I'm an 11 year old girl in. the in this CL I mean I am just such I'm. So Young too and I'm like hey it's Kelly. Clarkson anybody and okay so that's how. I felt like my voice sounded so we we. literally I was telling him earlier we. we Google it because I was like I know. it was like right after Idol that was so. excited like in love with him like I've. like I was very excited and so what. happened I mean.

no no I mean I mean just at that moment. I was like I cannot believe I was so. excited to get to do your show so I was. like I did it was a huge thing and I'd. never done anything like that the only. thing I'd done is Idle really so I was. very excited and um but I we looked it. up I was like I feel like it was like. 2003-ish and we looked it up and that. was so it's 20 years ago yeah so we have. a date in 20 years. to have another interview we were. allowed to speak to each other once. every once every 20 years it's allowed.

um but no but I I had to turn it off. because my voice was you hate your own. voice like your talking voice like I. don't leave voicemails I hate my talking. voice you don't wait a minute to a. degree that you don't leave a voicemail. I never leave a voicemail how do you. feel about being on a podcast. here's why here's why I'm okay with this. show and here's why I'm okay with my. talk show or any show I do because I. don't watch them or listen to myself. back because I'm in it okay like you. experienced so I don't ever we were just.

sexually discussing this I never watched. myself so for that reason alone like do. you like your voice when you hear your. voice nobody really does right I am uh I. am not a fan of my voice but then I talk. to other people and they agree that. they're also not a fan. and I've always thought I do not have a. good voice for television or radio and. and that's the medium that I got into. and which by the way reminds me I have a. major bone to pick with you which is I. got into being a talk show host because.

that's the one thing I could do oh you. became a talk show host and you're. really good at it and you have so many. other incredible possibilities and. you're an amazing singer that enrages me. it just enrages me because that was all. I could do no one else was saying you. know why don't you do you also have like. a 10 octave range yeah but I think I'll. just do a talk show you know whether. you're on a cross-country drive or on. your daily commute time in the car is. perfect for listening to podcasts like I.

don't know this one. T-Mobile covers more highway miles with. 5G than anyone their Network helps keep. you connected to all your favorite. podcasts when you're out and about I. gotta tell you I like to road trip some. times I do too and I have T-Mobile and I. ca I can honestly say there's coverage. that's important like there's been times. in my life where I'm out on the road. driving around and uh especially on. those family trips you're out in the. desert you want to make sure you have.

that coverage yeah what if you get like. your car breaks down and you're just. there sitting there like a chump yeah no. coverage yeah not this guy I've got. T-Mobile got 5G find out more at. t-mobile.com Cy that's. s-e-e-w-h-y I have been very vocal about. this from the very beginning like I was. more shocked than anyone like after. doing the voice they were like oh we. like how you are on the show your energy. like we think you do great at a talk. show you we have this idea and I was. like oh thank you no.

um you said no initially twice because I. was like I do not think that people will. I am not a comedian I am not a. journalist I have no experience to do. this like literally why would you want. me to do this like and so they they. really my ex actually really pushed me. to do it he was like I think you'll be. really good at it and I was like. okay I was like and so I tried it and I. will say from the pilot. I think as long as you're a curious. person and you love to engage with.

people you love to be communicative like. it's. it's kind of an easy job like it's like. it's fun I would say I can I I sometimes. think I can predict who's gonna be good. at it and when I heard that you were. going to do a show my first instinct was. you were very you're a very warm person. and you're very uh you seem like a real. person and then I when I bumped into. people that work with you regularly. including the woman who did my makeup. today who worked yeah she was just.

saying she's the best she's such a nice. person and I think that is half of it is. if you can be yourself in front of. people and you're legitimately good. person it's going to work out and so you. have I mean you are yourself and you're. comfortable then it doesn't really. matter like because you don't know. because I didn't know like people told. me afterwards like wow it was successful. like that never happens and I was like. come again and then and they were like. oh this was probably gonna fail and I. was like what like they didn't tell you.

that up front I had no I like ignorance. was 100 isn't Bliss I had no idea that. statistically I was screwed like it was. like I was probably gonna fail so I was. like if I had known that maybe I would. have said no a third time no the only. way what happens in Show Business is. they'll kill you with enthusiasm so what. happens is everyone's like it's gonna be. the best you're just gonna be amazing. it's the perfect choice for you perfect. time and what they're really thinking is. I don't know yeah if it goes badly.

that's their problem yeah. yeah and so uh you just you know but. yeah I'm glad I didn't know yeah it's. best not to know yeah and you just enjoy. it and you do it because you like doing. it yeah the um I'm curious because I. want to go way back to. um when I'm speaking to them in a room. it's not being recorded I often have my.

back turned this is the first time we've. seen his face yeah yeah and they're not. pleased yeah what's interesting to me. now is that you know American Idol and a. bunch of these different singing shows. like the voice they become such a. regular part of the fabric I remember. very clearly. um and I was in New York and I was doing. the Late Night show and I remembered. seeing um an advertisement for this. brand new show called American Idol and. not knowing what it was and then hearing. it's a singing competition show and like. anyone else thinking well that'll be.

around for 10 minutes for 10 minutes. yeah like everything else yeah and I'm. always wrong about things so I uh of. course it went on to be huge but what's. interesting is your perspective on it as. the first person I'm just curious to. hear you talk about the beginning the. very beginning of American Idol I know. there was some stuff at the very. beginning where it almost felt like. these people don't really know what. they're doing like this company doesn't. know what they're doing because they're. just figuring it out for the first time. well because that that there's truth to.

that because it had pop Idol which was. in the UK. um Will Young won the first one and that. was kind of the big thing and it blew up. there in the United Kingdom and then. Simon Fuller was not Cal Fuller. um was like oh I'm gonna do this in. America and see how it goes over well. they weren't sure and so it blew up and. they didn't really know how to control. it I don't know if you've noticed but. geographical speaking America is. enormous compared to the UK so covering. all that ground and like all the outlets. and like all I mean we were literally.

someone was always sick with like. walking or like laryngitis or just so we. were over work not and not because they. were mean about it everybody just didn't. know it was a phenomenal it was just a. phenomenon so it just blew up and. everybody was just trying to keep up. with it right I heard I heard I don't. know if it's true that that they so this. is the level they were at they took you. guys to a mall the contestants to a mall. this is true and I've heard this and it. just sounds I mean now you know that. they have a whole system because it's.

become part of the show business. on the show until I think like the top. five maybe right so you guys were just. doing your own makeup and hair dropped. us at a mall the Beverly Center. and oh that. gave us money and said and it was like I. don't I think it was like 200 bucks I. don't even know how it was just like a. couple hundred dollars or something like. that and and said okay go go you know. you this is you you know a prize to go. get something like for you know the show. and I am thinking this Show's going.

nowhere I'm pocketing this money I will. wear whatever I want. I just wore what I had so what did you. so you so you didn't even spend the. money they gave you no I didn't I was. like this is like rent money I was like. I'm not gonna waste it on this dumb mall. and like who cares about I didn't know. no one knew the show would be what it. was I'm literally the first winner I had. no idea like no one knew even after I. won no one knew no one could have called. that right I do think the reason why so. many successful people are from that.

particular show is because they're so. invested Simon Fuller like with the. company the record company the. management right the show like if one. succeeds all the others succeed so I. that's the Brilliance behind that. um and honestly I had a wonderful time. like I love Simon Fuller this never. happens in the industry but like he. actually let me out of my deal. and he didn't have to and I was you know. successful so there was no reason to do. that but he actually let me out because. he he couldn't actually be there.

um it was like other people running it. and it just wasn't a good um that's. unheard of in anything I haven't heard. of in any business but specifically the. music business for someone to say this. is a superstar a major Talent she wants. out you can I was at MTV Iced Out. performing and I was just in tears on. the phone I'm going look I I love you. you're like the kindest person ever but. like I don't work with you on the. regular and I'm just unhappy with who I. am working with and he not only said. he'd let me out he also said he'd help. me find management and help me out like.

after like and with no with no ask like. nothing no strings so it's I had a very. positive experience in that sense right. I will point out he sounds like a. terrible businessman he's really loaded. so he's doing something right once once. I was like friends and I randomly like. went like backpacking like um you know. in France and he was like literally this. is a real story it was like he was like. oh are you near and I was like oh my God. you're here too and he was like yeah he. was like I'll send my tender for you and. I was like.

I'm sorry what I was like what is it and. this is before the app tender this is a. a boat I guess a tiny boat with a bigger. boat that comes to get you and I was. like I know but it contains another boat. it's a tiny boat I guess from one big. yacht to like come get and I was like oh. man we roll in different circles. you're backpacking with your friends and. it's like you're gonna stay in a youth. hostel and then this guy's like I'll. send my yacht over.

definitely a normal Hotel like it was a. husband with a normal hotel and I just. was like oh my God you're good like. that's not I don't I feel like a pretty. woman like you know you walk in the. store and you don't belong. um so I was like oh this is not this is. not how I roll so no I'm good but I. learned what a tender was.