Carrie Underwood will be returning to “American Idol” as a judge, her first appearance on the show since winning the competition 20 years ago.
The country music superstar will replace Katy Perry, who has served as a judge for seven years.
“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching my show.”
of announcement The comments were made Thursday by Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group.
“This season marks 20 years since Carrie captured America’s hearts on Idol and launched her illustrious career, garnering multiple Grammy Awards. As a former Idol and dynamic music powerhouse, she brings a very unique perspective to one of the most popular shows on television,” he said.
“This is truly a coming-of-age moment for the show and for the audience that has been watching for over 20 years,” he added. “Welcome back, Carrie.”
Underwood has previously returned to the show in smaller roles, including as a mentor and as a cast member in the 2022 finale.
She will be sitting in the judges’ seat next to Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan in season 23.
“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” she said in a video about her return to Idol. “I’m so proud of everything I accomplished on the show and I’m so proud of everything I’ve accomplished since then.”
The pop star made headlines in 2021 after many on the left tried to remove her for simply “liking” a tweet that criticized “cruel and indefensible mask mandates against children.” She had previously mocked former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump during their respective appearances at the Country Music Awards.
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