Simon Cowell Tells Jennifer Hudson Song Choice Led to Her American Idol Exit: 'Wasn't Your Fault'

Simon Cowell has a theory about why Jennifer Hudson was eliminated from American Idol 18 years ago.

On the first episode of Hudson's new self-titled talk show debuting Monday, Cowell and Hudson reunited for a frank discussion about her time on the show, which shockingly ended early after her performance of Barry Manilow's 1976 single "Weekend in New England."

According to Cowell, 62, poor song choice may have led to Hudson's demise on the show.

"That night, I will never forget," he said of the evening of Hudson's exit, recalling that all he could think was, "Who chose stupid 'Barry Manilow Week?' "

"Wasn't me!" Cowell joked. "It wasn't my idea! And I remember thinking, 'This is not a great song.' Wasn't your fault. And then, of course, what happened, happened."

RELATED: American Idol Reunion! Jennifer Hudson to Welcome Simon Cowell as First Guest of Her New Talk Show

Jennifer Hudson Show/YouTube

Hudson's seventh place elimination from American Idol's third season back in 2004 made headlines, with music greats like Elton John calling out viewers of the program as "racist" for placing three Black contestants — Hudson, LaToya London, and the season's eventual winner Fantasia Barrino — in the bottom.

Of course, Hudson ended up doing pretty well for herself after getting the boot from Idol. Just two years after her elimination, the Chicago native made her film acting debut as Effie White in the film adaptation of Dreamgirls, winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the part (and making history as the youngest African American to win in a competitive acting category).

She's since gone on to have a lucrative recording and producing career, and is the youngest woman and second African American woman to receive the coveted EGOT for all four major entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Amy Sussman/Getty; Kevin Winter/Getty Jennifer Hudson and Simon Cowell

The Jennifer Hudson Show is Hudson's first entry into daytime talk, the series premiering on Hudson's 41st birthday.

On the debut episode, Cowell also asked Hudson about her Idol elimination, wondering, "Would you have changed the song or would you have kept things as they were?"

"That is a good question," Hudson laughed. "He done flipped the script on me. Hold the line, hold the line!"

She went on to stand by "Weekend in New England," explaining she likely wouldn't have gotten Dreamgirls without it because Manilow arranged the song for her in a similar way to the musical's signature tune, "And I Am Telling You."

"There are other songs before that that I would have changed," she said. "When you're on a show like that, you want to sing songs that represent you best. ... There were few songs in the beginning, that I was like, 'I don't think that represents my artistry.' "

"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," she added. "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."

Ray Mickshaw/FOX Jennifer Hudson on American Idol

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Elsewhere in the interview, Cowell also credited Hudson's personality for making Idol's early seasons such a success.

"It was the combination of talent, determination and real personality, and even though we had that kind of banter, you and I, it was always that … I always knew how determined you were and you were funny and you took it with grace," he said. "You kind of got it, I always thought that about it. You got it."

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Hudson showed her gratitude during her episode kick off on Monday, reflecting on her long-held dream to host her own show.

"Thank y'all for being here. I'm not gonna cry on y'all," she said. "But this is … it's an emotional time and day for me because this is my first show and just know when you see me, you're gonna see my heart. And I hope you feel my heart."

The Jennifer Hudson Show airs weekdays in syndication (check local listings).