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Simon Cowell has blasted Kelly Clarkson for turning her back on American Idol - the TV contest that launched her pop career.

The Southern belle, who won the first season of the hit US show, has refused to let the programme's producers use any of her hits for wannabes to sing in its latest run, which started last night.

And angry Cowell suggests the singer should be more grateful to producers for giving her her big break.

"No matter how talented Kelly Clarkson is, she would not be in the position she's in now without winning this show," he fumed.

"It's the public who bothered to pick up the phone to vote for her.

"I don't care about me; I don't think she was ever interested in me.

"I was interested in the fact that she was a great contestant.

He added: "I don't like when they walk away from the show and kind of forget the people who put her where she is today.

"By ignoring the show you're ignoring the audience who put you there.

"If she refuses to give songs to be used on the show, it's like saying to every person who voted for you, 'You know what, thank you [but] I'm not interested in you anymore.'

"That is a big mistake."

We await Kelly's rebuttal...

Former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson has backed down in a row over the use of her songs on the talent search programme.
The singer had originally said her tracks could not be sung by contestants in the new series of the show.

Judge Simon Cowell said: "I think that by ignoring the show you're ignoring the audience who put you there."

But the chart-topping star has now agreed that the next generation of wannabes can use her material.

American Idol must obtain permission from owners of song licenses in order for the music to be used on the show.

Negotiations

Clarkson's record label Sony BMG said her management was in negotiations over which of her songs could be used.

Spokesman Roger Widynowski had earlier said the singer was not allowing her songs to be licensed for other purposes and he had not been informed of negotiations.

In an interview with the Associated Press agency in 2005 Clarkson said she was aware that her career started on American Idol.

"They always talk about the big first thing that you did," she said.

"I think the only thing that I do mind is I don't want people to only focus on that."

Clarkson was the first winner of American Idol when it was launched in 2002.

She has since had transatlantic hits with singles Since U Been Gone and Miss Independent, among others, and she earned a Grammy nomination for best pop vocal album with her album Breakaway.