Ahead of theAmerican Idolseason 23 premiere,long-time host Ryan Seacrest wants to see new judge Carrie Underwood flourish, despite signs that she’s already failing, so he’s taken her under his wing. After Katy Perry’s departure from the singing competition series, Carrie will take her place at the judging table alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Katy was a judge on the show with Lionel and Luke for seven seasons before she left to focus on her own music career again. Carrie wonAmerican Idolseason 4 in 2005, and now she’s returning home to the show in a different role.
Carrie is one of the most successfulAmerican Idolchampions. Since her win, she’s become a country music legend and a global superstar. The Grammy Award winner has sold 85 million records worldwide and released 28 number one hits, among her many other phenomenal accomplishments. Carrie has always been a belovedAmerican Idolalum, but now she’s receiving backlash from some viewers. As Carrie moves forward withAmerican Idolseason 23, Ryan wants her to succeed as a judge, so he’s working hard to make her feel at home.
Carrie Underwood Has Faced Backlash Before The American Idol Premiere
Fans Have Vowed To Boycott American Idol Because Carrie Performed At Donald Trump’s Inauguration
When Carrie performed “America the Beautiful” at President Donald Trump’s inauguration,someAmerican Idolfans vowed to boycott the show until she’s no longer a judge. In anAmerican IdolInstagram post with a promo for season 23, one fan wrote in the comments,“Bummed, I love American Idol butNOT watching this season because of Carrie Underwood!,“while another wrote,“We’re cancelling Carrie.“Another fan stated,“Was hoping to watch this season but now it’s a hard no!,“while yet another said,“Love you @ryanseacrest but we can’t support @carrieunderwood anymore. Big no.”
However, in a statement toPeople,Carrie explained why she sang at the inauguration. Carrie said,“I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
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Time will tell ifAmerican Idolfans really stop watching because of Carrie, but the fact that there’s already backlash before the season even begins is a sign that she might be failing as a judge. Fans have been very vocal in their criticism of her, which is unusual becauseCarrie hasn’t been a controversial celebrity. Because of this, Ryan might be even more protective of her because they’ve been friends for twenty years, and he wants to see her succeed.
Ryan and Carrie met two decades ago when she auditioned forAmerican Idolseason 4. Since then, she’s returned to the show multiple times, including when she served as a mentor for the season 20 contestants in an episode dedicated to her and her music. Ryan and Carrie most recently worked together in December 2024 when he hosted, and she performed, duringDick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest.Whenever Ryan and Carrie appear together in any project, their friendship is very evident.
Ryan Seacrest Wants Carrie To Succeed On American Idol
Ryan Is Protecting Carrie From Her Critics
A source says that Ryan is working extra hard behind the scenes atAmerican Idolto protect Carrie from her critics. According toLife & Style, a source has reported that Ryan has taken Carrie under his wing, and has told Lionel and Luke to do the same for her. He wants her to make her feel welcome, not only because they’re close friends, but because he’d like to see her do more than oneAmerican Idolseason. According toThe US Sun, Carrie has only signed a one-year contract with the show, and isn’t obligated to return for another.
TheLife & Stylesource revealed that Ryan thinks that it’s fantastic that the show has one of its most successful winners as a judge, and that she’ll serve as an inspiration for all of the contestants. He also loves Carrie’s warm personality, and he thinks that she’s extremely talented. The insider also shared thatRyan hopes to keep Carrie away from the kind of backlash that Katy experienced while she was a judge on the show because her feedback wasn’t always well-received byAmerican Idolviewers. The source claimed that what the judges do affects Ryan, so, because of that, he wants to make sure that Carrie is well-received by the fans.
American Idol: 4 Signs Ryan Seacrest’s Bending Over Backwards To Please New Judge Carrie Underwood (& 4 Reasons Why He’s Doing It)
There are some signs that American Idol host Ryan Seacrest is going out of his way to make new judge Carrie Underwood feel at home. Here’s why.
Although Carrie has faced some backlash because of her choice to perform at the inauguration, it’s unclear how it will affectAmerican Idol’sratings. For every fan who vowed to quit watching because of her, there’s another who says that they’ll watch because she’s returning. No matter what happens, it’s sweet that Carrie has her friend Ryan rooting for her along the way.It’s going to be very exciting to see howAmerican Idolseason 23 plays out with Carrie as a judge, and, hopefully, she’ll be a huge success.
American Idolseason 23 premieres on Sunday, March 9 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.
