BREAKING! Carrie Underwood Replacing Katy Perry On ‘American Idol’
on Jul 31, 2024
Carrie Underwood is returning to the show that made her a star!
Fans have waited for nearly six months to find out who would be replacing Katy Perry on the American Idol judging panel. The announcement was well worth the wait as Carrie Underwood was named the new judge for the show’s 23rd season. She will be joining returning judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.
TMZ was the first to report the news, saying that “sources with direct knowledge” confirmed that Carrie is close to locking in her contract for the new gig.
Many other artists were rumored to be in talks to take Katy Perry’s place, including, P!nk, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and Meagan Trainor. So news of Carrie’s hire comes as a surprise to fans. But it was a pleasant surprise that makes perfect sense given Underwood’s history with the show.
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Carrie Underwood won American Idol Season 4 and went on to become one of the show’s biggest success stories. While she is rooted in country music, she’s celebrated numerous crossover hits such as “Jesus, Take The Wheel” and “Before He Cheats.”
For fans concerned about the show having two country artists seated at the judges’ table, Carrie serves as the ideal bridge between country and rock artists as she is a vocal fan of the latter genre. In 2023, Underwood served as an opening act for select dates of Guns N’ Roses’ stadium tour. She has also participated in cross-genre collaborations with numerous artists such as Ludacris, Axl Rose, John Legend, and more.
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Simon Cowell predicted Carrie Underwood’s success.
Since her American Idol win in 2005, Carrie Underwood has sold more than 85 million records, proving former judge Simon Cowell right.
Early in her American Idol run, Cowell told Carrie that she would be a fan favorite to win. In subsequent weeks, he upped the ante by saying that she would win and would outsell any previous winners. Simon’s hunch about Carrie’s success was correct, but we doubt he ever would have predicted that she would be filling a role that he once occupied.
American Idol Season 23 is set to premiere in early 2025, exactly 20 years after Carrie’s Idol journey began. Watch Carrie Underwood’s winning American Idol moment in the video below.
