After 15 seasons and 34,294 references to Coke, American Idol is calling it quits. The once-biggest show on television (the season two finale was watched by 38 million people) used to be a Ryan Seacrest; now it’s more of a Brian Dunkleman. Last season finished out of the top-20 for the first time.
The final go-around begins Wednesday night, and Ryan Seacrest was on the TODAY show this morning to discuss Idol‘s legacy and answer who the biggest star to deal with Simon Cowell’s tight-shirt smugness is. Without a moment of hesitation, he replied, “Carrie Underwood.” Ya burnt, Sanjaya.
[A] TODAY host chimed in and mentioned [Kelly] Clarkson and Seacrest replied, “Kelly too, but, you know, I was just on New Year’s with Carrie, and she’s just a superstar. She really is. So I take Carrie.” (Via)
Carrie Underwood has sold more albums than any other American Idol alumni, won more Grammys and Billboard Music Awards, and had more singles chart in the Hot 100. By every metric, yes, she, and not Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry, or William Hung (Jury), is the biggest Idol superstar. But “Since U Been Gone” is the best pop song of the 2000s, so Ryan Seacrest is wrong.
Kelly Clarkson is THE American Idol.
(Via NY Post)