Carrie Underwood is coming home.
The “American Idol” Season 4 winner and country music superstar will replace Katy Perry as a judge on the ABC singing competition series next year, has learned.
We hear the network’s official Season 23 announcement will be made Thursday.
Reps for “Idol” had no comment, and Underwood’s publicist did not immediately respond to .
Perry, 39, shocked fans in February when she revealed she was leaving the show.
“I love ‘Idol’ so much,” she said on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” at the time. “It’s connected me with the heart of America, but I feel like I need to go out and feel that pulse to my own beat.”
The Grammy nominee has since announced that she will release a new album, titled “143,” in September.
Want more celebrity and pop culture news?
Start your day with Daily.
Thanks for signing up!
Perry made her debut on the “American Idol” judging panel in 2018 alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie after the Ryan Seacrest-hosted show moved from Fox to ABC for its 16th season.
exclusively reported at the time that Perry had landed a $25 million salary, more than double Bryan’s and Richie’s paychecks, because she appealed to “a younger audience” and had a “huge social media following.”
The pay disparity did not cause issues among the judges, however, as they got along swimmingly on the air during their seven seasons together.
Bryan, 48, even rushed to Perry’s defense after she received backlash from viewers last year for harshly judging multiple Season 21 contestants.
“Katy gets picked on for going out and trying to have fun making a TV show,” the “One Margarita” singer told Fox News in June 2023, adding that his colleague’s thick skin made him “appreciate her even more.”
For his part, Richie, 75, praised Perry as “humorous” and “knowledgeable” on “Kimmel” in February before voicing his support for her decision to “take some time and actually be an artist” after her “Idol” run.
TMZ was first to report the news of Underwood’s casting.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
