Carrie Underwood won American Idol Season 4 in 2005, then returned to the show as a judge for its 2025 season. ABC announced her appointment in August 2024, nearly two decades after she competed on the series. She became the first former Idol winner to join the judging panel.
When Carrie Underwood won American Idol
Underwood was 21 when she won the show’s fourth season in 2005. Her route to the audition began in Checotah, Oklahoma. Recalling the moment in the video announcing her appointment, she said she saw on television that auditions were taking place in St. Louis. “My mom said, ‘If you wanna go, I’ll drive you,’” she told ABC News. ABC News reported her recollection as part of its coverage of the announcement.
Her debut album, Some Hearts, was released in 2005. ABC’s official biography describes the album as nine-times platinum.
When Underwood became an American Idol judge
ABC announced on August 1, 2024, that Underwood would join the panel for the show’s 2025 season. She took the seat previously held by Katy Perry, joining returning judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie; Ryan Seacrest was returning as host. The announcement made Underwood the first Idol winner to become a judge. ABC’s announcement introduced her as the season-four winner returning to the series in a new role.
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Underwood described the connection between her two roles simply: “I know what they’re going through,” she said of the contestants. ABC Audio reported the comment in the context of her experience competing on the show.
What happened after her first season as a judge
The 2025 season was announced to premiere on March 9, 2025, on ABC and Hulu, according to ABC’s season preview. That date is the season’s historical premiere information, not a current schedule.
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In August 2025, Underwood’s official site announced that she would return with Bryan and Richie for Season 24 in 2026. The announcement is on Underwood’s official website.
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