Simon Cowell

One of the most telling questions Simon Cowell asked this year's American Idol wannabes during the city audition phase was: where do you see yourself 10 years from now?

It's a telling question, because it separates those who really have a sense of why they're on Idol and those who are just in it for a lark. In an interview with Canwest News Service a number of years ago, Cowell said one of the things that struck him most about original winner Kelly Clarkson was how badly she wanted it, and how successfully she kept her drive hidden from the show's fans who might have held her ambition against her. Carrie Underwood was the same, Cowell said: a sweet girl on camera, a killer when it came to focusing on the task in front of her. Cowell said he wouldn't want it any other way: American Idol is about finding a recording star, not a dilettante with a nice voice.