7 News Features: Idol Rewind

WSVN -- Hard to believe that American Idol was once a new reality program few people had heard of. It quickly became the most talked about, must see show on TV.

Overnight, it turned unknowns into household names and made superstars.

Kelly Clarkson is as big as they get.

From her success as a multi-platinum recording artist to NASCAR spokesperson, Kelly has exceeded even idol's expectations, but she's managed to take it all in stride.

Kelly Clarkson: "I don't really care about being famous. Obviously, you all see that I run around without makeup and hair, and I don't care."

When she took the Idol title in 2001, Clarkson surprised the biggest idol critics by doing two things they said she couldn't do: She ditched the idol persona and sold records, millions of them.

But it's not just the contestants benefiting from Idol. The judges, even host Ryan Seacrest have spun off success stories from the show.

But the best job in the business wasn't always a one-man show.

Whatever happened to ... what's his name again?

Brian Dunkelman walked away from Idol after the first season.

Brian Dunkelman: "Oh, is that show still on?"

Louis Aguirre: "Yeah."

Dunkelman: "How's it doing?"

Louis Aguirre: "It's doing OK."

Dunkelman quit because he thought the show was too hard on the kids.

Dunkelman: "These kids didn't know what they were in for, and I just, you know, it was hard for me because I've been on so many auditions myself. So I think that I kind of took it a little more personally than other people did."

So Dunkelman decided to become an actor.

Dunkelman: "I can sum up my acting career in two words: belly and flop."

So we'll call him the loser of Season One.

The winner, Clarkson is moving forward with her next album and tour.

Kelly Clarskon: "It'll be the biggest tour, and we're going to have fun with it, with the fans. Hopefully they're going like the new stuff coming out."

And, as each season puts out star after star after star, there will be more winners and losers every year.