Less than a day after rumors started swirling that Carrie Underwood was returning to American Idol, the Grand Ole Opry member confirmed them herself. In a video shared on social media, Underwood reveals that she will be joining Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as judges on American Idol, 20 years after she became the Season 4 winner.
“I remember being at home in our little house in Checotah, and seeing on TV that there were auditions in St. Louis. My mom said, ‘If you want to go, I’ll drive you,'” Underwood says in the video.
“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show.,” she continues. “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.”
🌟CARRIE🌟 From Idol hopeful, to global icon…to IDOL judge! Home-grown superstar @carrieunderwood will join @AmericanIdol for Season 8! #CUonIdol✨ pic.twitter.com/ewTK7oBKrc
— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) August 1, 2024
American Idol executives also spoke out about Underwood’s return, two decades after she was crowned the winner.
“This upcoming season marks 20 years since Carrie won America’s hearts on Idol, and launched her successful multi-GRAMMY Award-winning career. As a former Idol and dynamic musical force, she brings a remarkably unique perspective to one of the most popular shows on television,” says Craig Erwich, President, Disney Television Group. “This is a full-circle moment both for the show and audiences at home who have been tuning in for over two decades. Welcome home, Carrie.”
“Carrie Underwood is the first American Idol alum ever to join the judging panel,” adds Megan Wolflick, Showrunner and Executive Producer of American Idol. “Her global superstar status as the most successful Idol winner to date makes her a perfect fit for the show. She embodies the true spirit of Idol as she herself is the definition of the Cinderella story. Our future hopefuls will have the chance to receive advice from someone who has walked in their exact footsteps every step of the way. Carrie has always been a strong supporter of Idol, and I’m thrilled for her to be reunited with our Idol family.”
A premiere date for the upcoming season of American Idol has yet to be announced, but will take place in early 2025. The 41-year-old also just announced she is extending her REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency at Resorts World Theatre into 2025, due once again to fan demand. Underwood created the show by looking at the careers of some of her own idols, including Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire.
“Sharing a legacy of putting on proper shows that, like Dolly’s and Reba’s, are extra — meaning filled with more of the glitz, glamour, extravagant wardrobe and staging that’s a part of our lives already — and tell a full, emotion and vibe-driven story with a beginning, middle and end,” Underwood tells The Tennessean. “I’m not just showing up and singing. Instead, I’m immersing the audience in song.”
Virtual auditions for American Idol will begin on August 12. Find more information at AmericanIdol.com.
Find all of Underwood’s music and tour dates at CarrieUnderwoodOfficial.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of ABC / Randee St. Nicholas