Carrie Underwood is a veteran when it comes to performing on American Idol. However, she joined the other side of the table in 2025 when she became a judge on the singing competition. She faced a lot of backlash this season for her feedback but she wasn’t always so hard on the contestants. Lionel Richie revealed the hard lesson he taught Carrie Underwood when she joined the show as a judge for Season 23.
American Idol Opens Auditions For Season 25
Season 24 of American Idol is coming to an end soon. Voters will choose the best singer from this season’s crop of contestants. ABC is going all out and bringing back some familiar names for the season finale. But the network is also already looking ahead to next season.
Season 25 has been confirmed and auditions have already opened up. Whether Carrie Underwood returns as judge for a new season is still up in the air.
Lionel Richie Reveals Hard Lesson He Taught Carrie Underwood
American Idol launched the career of Carrie Underwood back in 2005. It took over a decade later for her to come full circle and return as a judge. She replaced Katy Perry and joined longtime judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan at the judges’ table.
The judges on American Idol are a lot nicer now than they were during Simon Cowell’s time on the show. The three judges try to be encouraging but realistic. In an interview with Us Weekly, Lionel Richie revealed that he had to mentor Carrie Underwood on certain aspects of judging.
“I think for her, the toughest part was saying ‘No.’ It took her about halfway through her first season,” he told the outlet. Lionel Richie added, “And I get it, we’re here to not tear them down, but to encourage. But at the same time, not to lie to them. It’s a great balancing act.”
Carrie Underwood definitely found her voice during her second season as judge. She was mercilessly booed earlier this season for her feedback for one contestant. While she’s not as harsh as Simon Cowell was, she isn’t afraid to give her honest opinion, no matter how the audience reacts.
Lionel Richie had nothing but nice things to say about working with Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. “What I always say is, what makes the business hard, is the grind. What makes the business easy? People with personalities. Luke is all by himself. Carrie is just a mom with a musical degree. It’s so much fun.”
“Carrie’s bringing a dynamic that Luke and I don’t know anything about called, ‘She’s been here before.’ She knows the pressure [and] the anxiety,” he added about the American Idol winner-turned-judge.
Tell us in the comments if you noticed Carrie Underwood’s feedback became harsher during her second season as judge.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
