A 17-year-old from Arizona yesterday became the youngest ever winner of American Idol, after viewers cast a record 74 million votes.

Jordin Sparks beat Blake Lewis, 25, to the top spot on the US’s most watched television show after the singer captured the hearts of viewers with her bubbly personality and big voice.

The two finalists embraced after host Ryan Seacrest announced the winner of the sixth season of the contest, with Sparks, dressed in a long, flowing gold gown, having difficulty catching her breath.

“Thank you so much for everything -- Mom and Dad, I love you!” said the emotional teenager, who along with the American Idol title will receive a recording contract.

Backstage, Sparks could barely contain her excitement at joining the ranks of previous“Idol” winners.

“It just turned out pretty cool, I guess,” she said, giggling.

Ms Sparks, who is from Glendale, Arizona, and is the daughter of a former National Football League player, Phillippi Sparks, started singing as a toddler and auditioned for American Idol as soon as she could after becoming eligible at the age of 16.

After the show singer Smokey Robinson said: “She sings so good it’s hard to believe that she’s 17. To sing like that you would have to have lived for a long time.”

Heading into the competition’s final week, many thought the show’s top title was up for grabs, with the British judge, Simon Cowell, saying viewers would have to decide between the better singer, Sparks, and the better entertainer, Lewis.

The show, which has grown from a cheesy summer talent competition into a cultural phenomenon that draws about 30 million viewers twice a week, is a spin off from the British Pop Idol.

In its first five seasons the show has produced a list of successful stars from both its winners and losers.

Kelly Clarkson was a Grammy winner, winner Carrie Underwood became a Country Music Award winner and Jennifer Hudson, who failed to make the finale in 2004, won an Oscar and Golden Globe earlier this year for her performance in the movie Dreamgirls.

In addition to transforming nobodies into stars, the programme has become a coveted forum for established artists to be seen.

The star-studded event included performances by Gwen Stefani, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and Green Day. Prince, Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder and Mary J. Blige have also appeared on the show.

About 100,000 people auditioned for this year’s show, which puts contestants through auditions and performances that showcase musical genres ranging from country to hard rock.

The programme, on News Corp’s Fox network, first ran in the summer of 2002.

There are three judges, the music producer Randy Jackson, the former pop star Paula Abdul and Cowell. They have contracts for another two seasons.

Revenue from recordings by performers associated with the Idol franchise has exceeded $100 million.

The show is broadcast live or tape-delayed to more than 100 nations outside the United States, including Pakistan, Israel, United Arab Emirates, China, Australia and South Africa.

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