<p id=”par-1_53″>When <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/american-idol/”><em>American Idol</em></a> made its reboot and switched from Fox to ABC, three judges were called in to take on plenty of singers with a dream: Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan. All of the judges came from different backgrounds and genres, which helped them see different shining lights in various singers.</p>
<p id=”par-2_39″>After seven seasons judging the show, Perry stepped away to focus on new ventures, and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/american-idol-carrie-underwoods-authentic-style-makes-likable-katy-perry-stylist-says.html/”>Carrie Underwood was hired</a> in her place. After the show’s season premiere, fans have some mixed feelings about Carrie’s judging but ultimately are optimistic.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Carrie-Underwood-American-Idol-3.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan” class=”wp-image-3787021″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Lionel Richie, Carrie
Underwood, and Luke Bryan | Todd Owyoung/NBC/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-fans-seem-optimistic-about-carrie-underwood-as-an-american-idol-judge”>Fans seem optimistic about Carrie Underwood as an ‘American Idol’ judge</h2>
<p id=”par-3_92″>Underwood auditioned as a contestant on season 4 of the show, and it paid off her for. She wound up winning and has since become one of the most successful <em>Idol</em> winners of all time alongside other greats like Kelly Clarkson Scotty McCreery. Underwood’s spunky image mixed with her down-to-earth farm-girl upbringing <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/american-idol-crew-happier-comfortable-carrie-underwood-katy-perry-source-says.html/”>made her easily relatable</a>, and the hope was that her experience with the show would help her as a judge. That appeared to be true during the first episode, with a number of contestants relating to Underwood during their audition.</p>
<p id=”par-4_30″>Fans took to <a href=”https://www.reddit.com/r/americanidol/comments/1j7kwe7/live_discussion_american_idol_season_23_premiere/”>Reddit</a> to express their immediate thoughts about Underwood as the new judge. For the most part, people seem optimistic about what her future with the show holds.</p>
<p id=”par-5_30″>“Carrie showing so much personality during Insite’s audition is a really good sign,” one person wrote, referring to Underwood singing and dancing to heavy metal songs like Drowning Pool’s “Bodies.”</p>
<p id=”par-6_49″>“I thought that Carrie did fine. I’m sure that she’ll get more comfortable as the show goes on,” someone else added. It seems that, while there was some concern about how Underwood would do, people don’t have too many bad things to say about her after the first episode.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio” id=”emb-2″><div class=”wp-block-embed__wrapper”>
<iframe title=”Carrie Underwood Watches Her American Idol Audition, Shares Personal Stories: IDOL TO ICON” width=”925″ height=”520″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/aJZB9MqX9ns?feature=oembed” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>
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<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-some-people-are-unsure-of-how-to-feel-about-carrie-underwood-as-the-new-judge”>Some people are unsure of how to feel about Carrie Underwood as the new judge</h2>
<p id=”par-7_28″>Despite the general optimism, a few people were a little concerned about how <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/carrie-underwood-appeared-tense-serious-filming-american-idol-source-says.html/”>Underwood’s personality would differ</a> from Perry’s, and whether it would help or hurt the show.</p>
<p id=”par-8_14″>“I hope Carrie doesn’t ruin it for me. I’ll miss Katy,” one person wrote.</p>
<p id=”par-9_11″>“So far I’m getting no emotion/personality from Carrie,” another person commented.</p>
<p id=”par-10_14″>“I’ll give her a chance. She’s way more serious than Katy,” someone else added.</p>
<p id=”par-11_28″>Fans will have to stay tuned to future episodes to see how Underwood’s personality unfolds and how she interacts with the contestants over a longer period of time.</p>