Jennifer Hudson & Simon Cowell Discuss Her 'American Idol' Elimination on 'Stupid Barry Manilow Week'

Jennifer Hudson sat down with former American Idol judge Simon Cowell 18 years after her elimination from the show.

“That night, I will never forget,” Simon said as the first guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

“Who chose stupid ‘Barry Manilow Week?’ It wasn’t me!” He added, “It was not a great song. Of course, it wasn’t your fault and then, of course, what happened, happened,” referring to her performance of Barry Manilow‘s 1976 song “Weekend in New England.”

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Jennifer made her hosting debut and celebrated her 41st birthday on the premiere of The Jennifer Hudson Show.

“By the time I was eliminated, I feel like I got an opportunity to display who I was as an artist, so I was OK with being eliminated,” Jennifer said. “And then once I was, I was like ‘You know what? You’re walking away with your talent, you’re walking away with a gift.’ This competition may be over but your passion isn’t. Your love and your drive isn’t. Too often people give up and think that’s the end of the road and I said, ‘No, I’ll be back. I don’t know how but I will sing my way to it.’ And I kept that goal in mind and I didn’t give up.”

Premiere week continues with an all-star lineup of guests, including Magic Johnson, Mickey Guyton, Yvonne Orji, Hannah Waddingham, and Viola Davis.