Season 24 of American Idol is heating up as the competition intensifies, with the Top 30 contestants now officially revealed. Last night, Monday, March 2, marked the end of Hollywood Week hosted unorthodoxly from Nashville, Tennessee.
Returning for their second year in a row altogether is the dynamic trio of Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood. Richie and Bryan have been a part of the judging panel since the show’s sixteenth season in 2018, with the season four winner of Idol, Underwood, being the less experienced addition.
In the past, Simon Cowell has infamously been known as the harshest judge on American Idol, with later judges like Harry Connick Jr. and Katy Perry also facing backlash for their blunt critiques. This year, none other than the usually sweet “American Girl” singer Carrie Underwood has officially become the bad cop of the judging panel.
A few weeks ago, on February 16, Underwood took to Twitter to tease the less-than-positive fan response she’s been receiving from the Idol fans while taping, saying, “Spoiler alert…I get booed A LOT from our Hollywood Week Audience.” Of course, with that vague statement, many had jumped to the conclusion that the Boo’s were sounded off from Underwood’s outspoken positioning as a right-wing supporting singer. Mainly following her performance at President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the 42-year-old Oklahoma native has been under fire for her political stance.
Nonetheless, following last night’s episode, the crowd’s response actually stems from many believing that her critiques of the young contestants are too harsh. Even though Bryan and occasionally Richie will throw out some constructive quips as well, with even one of the first round auditions episode showcasing Bryan’s string of “No” votes, neither of the leading men seems to get the same backlash.
Underwood exclaimed to her long-time country music friend, “Why don’t they boo you?” with Bryan hilariously responding, “I don’t know, I’m trying to get booed. Ask ‘em.” At this, Underwood whipped her head to the audience and exclaimed, “You’re not gonna boo him? You’re not gonna boo Luke?” at which, of course, everyone let out a wave of erupting boo’s and Underwood danced in glee with the harsh spotlight off of her.
Mainly, the poor response from fans intensified following contestant Mor Ilderton’s return to the stage to perform another emotionally fueled original, “how to love you.” Underwood often doesn’t hold back her qualms about the young singer’s stakes in the competition and the fact that many may still need time to grow. She predicted the audience’s responses, turning to Bryan before her feedback by saying, “They are going to boo me.” Still, Underwood remains unfazed by the hate, telling the audience, “You guys are gonna boo me. You’re gonna boo me. It’s coming. Bring it on. I love it! Your boos are feeding me.”
Bryan stood up for his fellow judge, backing her critiques by saying, “She only won this. She knows.” Which, despite not silencing the disgruntled crowd, is a true statement given that since her 2005 victory, Underwood has become one of the show’s most successful winners with nine studio albums, seven of which are multi-platinum/platinum certified by the RIAA, and as of October 2025, the highest RIAA-certified female country artist of all time.
Doubling down on her nonchalantness about the whole “Booing” situation, Underwood posted on Twitter last night, saying, “Boo me. I don’t care.” Along with the top 30 contestants, the judges will return next week for the Ohana Round hosted at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, where there’s bound to be more tough cuts to come.