Simon Cowell has said part of the success of TV talent contest Britain's Got Talent is the 'intoxicating' effect of seeing people take their first steps towards stardom.
The impresario cited the case of Scots singer Susan Boyle, who became a huge star after finishing runner-up on the programme.
Launching the ninth series, which begins on Saturday, Cowell said part of the reason for its success was because unlike some shows, the contestants were the stars - not the judges.
He said: "Our shows are about the moment a star is born.
"I keep referring back to Susan Boyle because it's the best example I can give. If you remember watching that first audition, you're watching somebody's life change forever, and I think that is intoxicating."
Boyle, from Blackburn, first appeared on the show when she sang I Dreamed A Dream in 2009.
Cowell explained his notoriously high standards in letting contestants through to the next round.
He said: "I think I have higher standards than the other three, that's for sure. Sometimes I look at something and I think it's just a pale imitation of what we've seen before.
"Particularly with the dog acts. When you've had an act as good as Ashleigh and Pudsey who were famous all over the world, some of the dog acts I've seen on the show this year... It's not just that the dogs aren't very good, the owners are terrible. They're just really boring.
"There are a lot of people now who think just because they're going to sing opera, we're all going to jump out of our chairs. And we're not, unless you are amazing. The audience at home, they feel the same way."
"I love that and I loved it with Ashleigh and Pudsey, and Diversity, Paul Potts. They're magic moments and you're going to see a lot of those this year."
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