Carrie Underwood is joining the roster of American Idol judges early next year, and Luke Bryan already knows what to expect when she takes a seat at the table.
During a chat with Taste of Country Nights, host Evan Paul asked Bryan whether he thinks his country music counterpart will be too soft or too kind with contestants. When Underwood competed on the show in 2005 — and ultimately won — the notoriously critical Simon Cowell was a judge.
Bryan says things have changed over the years.
“We’ve all gotten a lot softer in that role as the show has evolved,” he explains. “Obviously the early origins of American Idol, you couldn’t stop watching it because of some of the bad talent and how Simon would react … and that was a big reason for the show’s success.”
Underwood is replacing Katy Perry and will be one of three judges with Bryan and Lionel Richie.
“The show has gotten away from a lot of that,” Bryan notes, referring to Cowell’s often-harsh feedback, “and more about lifting these kids up. I think Carrie will do a great job at that.”
Bryan says the show has really transformed into more wholesome, positive viewing, and the judges are a big part of it.
“You gotta go soft when you go soft,” he says. “Then when you have a kid that thinks they have already made it and they’re this and that, you kinda gotta lean on ’em and put ’em in their place a little bit and calm ’em down.”
But if Underwood needs to “go hard” on a contestant, can she pull it off? Bryan thinks so.
“I don’t see why she wouldn’t,” he insists. “Anytime you’ve navigated the music business as a woman, you know … she’s done it with such grace and elegance, but you still gotta have some piss and vinegar in ya.”
“To be the superstar she is, she certainly had to really get in there and be strong when she needs to be strong.”
Underwood’s debut season as an American Idol judge starts in spring 2025.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
20 Things Carrie Underwood Has Done Since Winning ‘American Idol’
Carrie Underwood has been, well, busy since winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. Since the confetti fell, the country singer has released nine albums and embarked on seven tours. She’s also tried her hand at acting and launched a handful of businesses.
Over the years she’s become one of the biggest success stories to come out of the show, winning countless awards and amassing a staggering net worth of over $100 million.
Keep scrolling to see 20 things Underwood has done since her time on the reality singing competition.
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Carrie Underwood and her husband, Mike Fisher, owned a 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 2-half-bathroom home in an affluent Nashville suburb called Brentwood. The 7,000-square-foot mansion features a wet bar, fitness center and tennis court, as well as a four-car garage, walk-out basement with heated marble floors and extra appliances, including a sub-zero fridge and wine fridge. That house is where Underwood suffered a devastating fall in 2017.
The couple sold the luxurious home for $1,410,000 in March of 2019, after they moved into the massive dream home that they had spent several years building from scratch.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 130 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. The radio show reaches over 21 million listeners per week. He plays the best new country music and interviews today’s top stars, like Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, + more!