Over on Jennifer's fan boards, they are gleefully reminding everyone of the mean things Simon said about her when she was on AI. I think she finished only as high as 6th or thereabouts, while Fantasia won. It's ironic that both Diana DeGarmo, that year's runner up, and Jennifer Hudson have really top-flight careers going in Broadway musicals when AI, as originally conceived, was geared towards the bubblegum pop crowd. (Dreamgirls was a huge hit on Broadway before being brought to the screen.)
Diana is currently staring in Hairspray on Broadway.
I still remember the way Simon criticized Clay Aiken for being "too Broadway." Yet AI is responsible for discovering -- and totally dismissing -- two of the Broadway musical genre's top young stars. ROFLMBO 'cause I'm a fan of that genre.