'American Idol' alum Kelly Clarkson opens up about career doubts following Season 1 win

Kelly Clarkson had to be pinched after winning "American Idol" simply because she wasn’t sure that she would see success in her career, let alone become a superstar nearly 20 years later.

The 38-year-old singer-turned-daytime talk show host, who won the first season of "Idol," looked back on her journey during a chat with Andy Cohen on Friday’s episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

When asked by Cohen, 52, if she ever thought her career would turn into what it has become following her "Idol" win, Clarkson quipped that she thought she'd be "the most famous cocktail waitress in Texas."

The mother of two went on to describe her time on the competition reality show, calling the life-changing experience, "so pure and raw."

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"Nobody knew, not even the people doing the show knew if it would work or not in America," she told the "For Real: The Story of Reality TV" host.

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Clarkson is one of the most successful "Idol" contestants.

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Outside of her Grammy-winning music career, Clarkson has managed to parlay her success into lucrative television gigs.

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Clarkson’s talk show has already earned an Emmy win and she is also a coach on "The Voice."