Simon Cowell Knew Carrie Underwood Would Win ‘American Idol’

Former 'American Idol' judge Simon Cowell had a chance to gush about Carrie Underwood this past Sunday night when he was a guest on 'Oprah Presents Master Class' on Winfrey’s new OWN network. Cowell shared his thoughts on the 'Idol' winner turned country star, saying, "I can remember one specific time when Carrie Underwood walked into an audition room. It was as if the entire cast that year was in black and white, and she walked in in color."

Though Cowell isn't really a fan of country music, he went on to add, "It was so obvious and from that second … A. I knew we’d found a star. B. She was gonna win, and C. I had this feeling that she was going to sell more records than anybody else. I wish I could define what it is that makes it special, but you can't. You just know."

The new season of ‘American Idol’ debuted last week with new judges Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. Randy Jackson, a judge from the original lineup, rounds out the trio.

Simon Cowell Remembers Carrie Underwood's First 'Idol' Audition