After winning the first ever Norwegian Idol contest in 2003, he went on to be a huge success in Norway, with the hit "She's so High". The year after, he won the World Idol contest too, beating the bookies' favourite Kelly Clarkson, the winner of the American Idol, after being told by Simon Cowell that "You look like a hobbit, but you sing like an angel!". His voice has often been compared to that of Bono from U2.