Simon makes surprise appearance; audience goes nuts!

The crowd inside the Dolby Theatre erupted when Simon Cowell surprised everyone by joining Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul on stage, alongside Ryan Seacrest. One word to describe the reaction? Nuts! Paula and Randy were first to appear to present Ryan with a parting gift: a giant neon "American Idol" sign the host said he would jokingly place on his nightstand. When Ryan asked Paula what she would remember most, the original Idol judge said "probably hitting Simon." Ryan added: "He did drive us all a little crazy."

And just as Ryan told the audience Simon couldn't make the finale, the vocal judge walked on stage and stunned the crowd. "Thank you America for inviting us into your homes, thank you to the contestants and to Fox for actually putting us on air," he said, while referring to Randy and Paula as "best friends." 

Simon added:"I’m feeling quite emotional now." 

So are we, Simon, so are we.