After months of debate on who would replace Katy Perry on the judge’s panel, it appears American Idol has made their pick.

Carrie Underwood Performs 'Denim & Rhinestones' New Tracks on 'Today'

According to Deadline, Carrie Underwood “has replaced the I Kissed A Girl star” and will join fellow coaches Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie for Season 25.

This comes on the heels of a TMZ report from Wednesday, July 31 claiming that Underwood was in the “final stages” of finalizing her contract to join the cast of the ABC hit show.

The outlet also noted that Underwood is scheduled to make an appearance on GMA this Friday—an obvious platform for Underwood to possibly make a splash confirmation regarding her return to American Idol official.

Carrie Underwood Edges Out a Stacked Group of ‘American Idol’ Candidates

Before Underwood staking claim to the judging vacancy, a slew of superstar names had been rumored as possible fill-ins for Perry. Big-name candidates such as Jelly Roll, Miley Cyrus, and Meghan Trainor were all believed to be front-runners at one time or another. Trainor, in particular, was publically vocal about her desire to become a judge. So much so, that she apparently emailed the show numerous times to pitch herself.

“I’ve done every interview in the world and said that that is my dream job and I have emailed three awesome people who work in that world,” she said on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, per a report from Yahoo Entertainment.

Underwood rose to fame in 2004 as a fan-favorite and eventual season 4 champion of the beloved singing competition. Since then, Underwood has carved out a career that rivals any past Idol winner—and really any artist in general. Underwood has amassed 85 million records sold worldwide, is a Grand Ole Opry member, and is an eight-time GRAMMY Award recipient.

Carrie Underwood Extends Tour

If the duties of being a judge on one of the most popular singing competitions weren’t enough, Underwood has more on her plate. The country superstar will continue to entertain the fans in Sin City with her Las Vegas residency. Underwood recently announced she’ll be extending her historic “Reflections: The Las Vegas Residency” at the Resorts Word Theatre into 2025.

New dates span from August 14 to October 26 of 2024, and March 26 through April 5 of 2025.


(Photo by Mike Coppola/WireImage)