American Idol fans couldn’t handle their emotions after a viral video teased the legendary return of Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood — not as a contestant, but as a judge.
Nearly two decades after her life-changing win, the country queen will grace the panel alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, in a moment that fans can’t stop buzzing about.
Carrie reportedly will raking in a whopping $12 million for her judging debuta modest amount compared to Katy Perry’s $25 million salary before she quit last year after seven seasons.
In a heartbreaking promo, ABC unveiled a clip showcasing Carrie’s journey – from her fresh audition to winning it all and now claiming her spot as a judge.
Social media exploded with fans’ excitement, with one user declaring: ‘Aww, this gives me chills and made me cry. This is so great! I always voted for Carrie, and now look at her!’
Another proudly exclaimed, “That’s our girl!”
American Idol fans couldn’t handle their emotions after a viral video teased the legendary return of Season 4 winner Carrie Underwood — not as a contestant, but as a judge
Nearly two decades after her life-changing win, the country queen will grace the panel alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, in a moment fans can’t stop buzzing about.
“I’m not crying, you’re crying,” one posted, as another agreed, writing: “Why did this make me so emotional.”
Another said: ‘I’ve been a fan of Carrie since day 1!! Welcome home Carrie!’
Host Ryan Seacrest, who famously announced Carrie Underwood as the winner of American Idol in 2005 season 4, couldn’t hide his excitement for her return.
Sharing throwback photos of that iconic moment, he wrote, “It’s a full-circle moment: from announcing you as the winner of @americanidol 20 years ago to welcoming you to the judges’ table. Welcome home, @carrieunderwood!’
In August, Carrie opened up about how she plans to deal with the pressure of being a judge on American Idol.
With experience in multiple genres, she explained, “I like to think that I’m versatile, and hopefully when I listen to people come in and audition, I can have whatever lens I need to determine what kind of music I want to play.” I’m thinking.’
The Before He Cheats hitmaker also shared her approach to feedback, saying: ‘I think I can be honest and constructive, but still kind, and I think that’s the whole point.’
Reflecting on the weight of the moment for the participants, Carrie noted, “People come in and, you know, they’re dreams, and from that moment on you’re part of someone’s story.”
Social media exploded with fans’ excitement, with one user declaring: ‘Aww, this gives me chills and made me cry. This is so great! I always voted for Carrie, and now look at her!’
She added, “So I think it’s important to be honest, but I think it’s also really important to be kind, so hopefully I can marry all those people together and be a good judge.”
Carrie steps into the judging role, succeeding Perry, who joined American Idol in 2017 and reportedly earned an eye-popping $25 million per season, compared to the $10 million per season Richie received.
According to him, Bryan earned a higher salary than Richie, at $12 million Forbes.
Host Seacrest also brings home $12 million per season.
The pay gap between Carrie and Katy comes down to time and priorities, according to a Source of life and style.
They revealed: “ABC was asking for a lot [Perry’s] time away from making music and performing, more time than she had ever spent on anything other than her own pop career.”
As for Carrie, the insider shared, “She’s been a part of the Idol family since the beginning and she has a vested interest in seeing the franchise continue.”
Carrie’s grounded attitude was also praised, with the source adding, “Another strength of Carrie is her humility, and Carrie didn’t need to be offered a Katy-sized salary to return to the franchise.”