After winning season 4 of American Idol in May of 2005, country superstar Carrie Underwood is officially returning to the beloved competition series that kickstarted her illustrious career, joining the judges’ panel alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie for season 23.
Despite taking the American Idol stage to perform “Cry Pretty” and serve as a guest mentor in 2018 — as well as serve as a guest mentor in 2022 — this transition will make Underwood the first former contestant to become a judge, replacing Katy Perry, who announced that she would be stepping away from the show back in February.
On February 12, the “Firework” singer explained on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! that she is leaving American Idol to focus on her career and making some new music, notably her seventh studio album, 143, that is set to hit music streaming services on September 20. “I think this will probably be my last season for Idol… I feel like I need to feel that pulse to my own beat,” she told Kimmel.
Despite rumors that stars like Meghan Trainor or Jelly Roll would replace Perry, Underwood’s new role was announced via Good Morning America today (August 1), as well as via social media. ABC and American Idol — as well as the “Before He Cheats” singer herself — shared a reel via Instagram that announced the news, showing some footage from Underwood’s audition and eventual victory, as well as footage from her hometown of Checotah, Oklahoma.
“I remember being at home in our little house and seeing on TV that there were auditions in St. Louis. My mom said, ‘If you want to go, I’ll drive you,'” Underwood shared in said reel. “I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show… I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.”
Now, having sold 85 million records worldwide and achieving the impressive feat of 28 number one hits — as well as taking home numerous GRAMMY Awards, American Music Awards, CMA Awards and more — Underwood’s experience and eventual success can be an asset to the hopefuls auditioning for American Idol season 23. Naturally, fans of the hit competition show could not help but gush about how perfect the “Blown Away” singer is for the job:
“You guys couldn’t have picked better than this. Carrie is one of the reasons American Idol became an iconic show ❤️”
“The absolute best option for the next judge – haven’t watched in years and now I’ll definitely be watching again!! 😍”
“YESSSSS!!!! I remember staying up as a little kid to use all my phone votes for Carrie during her season. So excited to see her back on American Idol 🥹”
Season 23 of American Idol will premiere in spring 2025, with judges Underwood, Bryan and Richie, as well as host Ryan Seacrest reprising his role. In the meantime, you can keep up with the beloved competition series on social media for all of the updates.