Simon Cowell defends Kelly Clarkson

Simon Cowell has defended Kelly Clarkson's decision to assemble her own writing team for new album My December.

Responding to reports in the US media that record label executives at RCA and Sony BMG were annoyed with Clarkson for trying to take control of the album, Cowell insisted that she should be allowed to experiment.

Clarkson shot to fame in 2002 after winning the first season of American Idol and her subsequent hits have included Breakaway and Since U Been Gone.

''Kelly is not a puppet; she does not like to be told what to do," Cowell explained. "She could have gone the easy route, which is, you go with [Since U Been Gone producer] Max Martin - it's a guaranteed success. She made it absolutely clear that she wanted to steer the musical direction on this record.

"You just gotta say, 'You know what? This girl has given us millions and millions of sales.' You've got to give her that opportunity. If it works out, fantastic. If she then decides she wants to do a pop album, every good writer and producer wants to work with her. Because Kelly will be here for 30 years. She has one of the best pop voices in the world right now.

"What she sold in the UK, Europe, Asia had nothing to do with American Idol. It had everything to do with the fact that she made a great record and she's got an incredible voice. She's not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition; we got lucky to find her.''