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Backstage Country

Carrie Underwood: What Kind Of ‘Idol’ Judge She’ll Be

Carrie Underwood told Good Morning America how she felt about returning to American Idol as a judge next season. She said before she performed, “It feels like home. There are…

Carrie Underwood in a colorful top performing outside at Good Morning America.
Dia Disupil/Getty Images

Carrie Underwood told Good Morning America how she felt about returning to American Idol as a judge next season. She said before she performed, "It feels like home. There are so many people who even still work on the show when I was a contestant. I feel like being on both sides of the coin, I'll be able to hopefully offer some insight and a different perspective."

When asked what kind of a judge she will be, she offered, "I do have a big problem, hopefully, it's not a big problem, I can't lie…you can tell. I feel like I'll be very honest."

The country superstar, who won season 4 of American Idol in 2005, was announced last week (8/1) as the newest judge on the show, taking over for Katy Perry. The news was revealed that Carrie will join returning judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, along with host Ryan Seacrest, when Idol returns to ABC and Hulu in spring 2025.

In a video posted to American Idol's Instagram, the Oklahoma native says in a video revealing the big news, "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 wanna go, I'll drive you.'"

Underwood reflected on her journey to fame, saying, "I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show. 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, along with Kelly Clarkson, is considered to be the most successful American Idol winner. Underwood won Season Four in 2005. She has since gone on to sell over 85 million records.

In May, Katy Perry did her last Idol show after saying she would leave to work on music and tour. She said one of the hardest parts for her was saying goodbye to her fellow judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Perry admitted that Richie simply telling her that he'd miss her was the first thing to set off the waterworks. But, in classic Katy Perry fashion, she made light of the situation and ordered pizza during the show, "and that helped," she noted.

When asked about who should replace her, Perry told reporters, "I hope it's someone fearless. I hope it's someone that doesn't mince their words, maybe someone a little polarizing just like myself."

Nancy Brooks has been working in the country music industry for almost 30 years. She has interviewed pretty much any country star you can think of. In the late 1990s, she started working with Dolly Parton. And yes, Nancy reports that Parton is as sweet as you would think. She loves her life in country music and has been backstage at every CMA Awards show since the late 1990s. Many of her stories are from her one-on-one interviews. She was there at the beginning of the incredible careers of many music superstars today, including Taylor Swift, Shania Twain, and Blake Shelton, and has interviewed them multiple times throughout the years.