Carrie Underwood Reveals The One 'Problem' She Has Returning To 'American Idol'

In a full-circle moment, Carrie Underwood is making her return to "American Idol"—but this time as a judge!

The eight-time Grammy Award winner will be stepping into Katy Perry's shoes for the upcoming season, bringing her knowledge and advice to the judges' table. Underwood will join Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan for season 23, proving she’s still a powerhouse after winning the title herself in 2005.

Following ABC's confirmation of her new role, Carrie Underwood appeared on "Good Morning America," hinting at a potential challenge she might face in her new judging seat.

After much speculation about her departure, Katy Perry officially confirmed she’s leaving "American Idol" after seven seasons. She shared that while her time on the show has been a heartfelt experience, it’s time for her to move on.

“It’s been an incredible journey with [Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Ryan Seacrest],” Perry told "Good Morning America" a few weeks ago.

After several rumors of who would take over Perry's spot, ABC confirmed the seat would go to eight-time Grammy Award-winning singer Carrie Underwood. “I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” the artist said in a video shared by ABC. “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show and I’m so proud of everything I’ve accomplished since.”

As part of "Good Morning America"'s Summer Concert Series, the country music singer took the stage to perform some of her greatest hits, but before grabbing the microphone, she spoke out about her exciting return to where it all began--"American Idol."

"It feels like home, there are so many people that even still work on the show that were there when I was a contestant," she told Lara Spencer and Sam Champion on Friday. "I feel like being on both sides of the coin, I'll be able to offer insight and help and kind of a different viewpoint."

When asked what type of judge she thinks she will be, Underwood admitted, "I do have a big problem, [well] hopefully it's not a problem--I can't lie, I just can't, you can tell. I feel like I'll be very honest, but hopefully, I can be very constructive."

Just hours after the big announcement, Ryan Seacrest, the current host of "American Idol," took to social media to share a welcome home message.

Seacrest, who was also hosting the show when Carrie Underwood clinched her win, reflected on the new chapter for Underwood and the upcoming season of the ABC singing competition show.

"It’s a full-circle moment to go from announcing you as the winner of 'American Idol' 20 years ago to now welcoming you to the judge’s table," he captioned a throwback photo of the two on stage nearly 20 years ago. "Welcome home, Carrie Underwood!"

Underwood later responded to Seacrest's post, commenting, "Thank you, Ryan! Excited to be coming back home!"

Following the news, showrunner executive producer Megan Wolflick spoke to Entertainment Tonight where she revealed why they picked Carrie Underwood to take over Katy Perry's spot.

After calling her their "queen," Wolflick expressed. “Well, it is 20 years since she auditioned in St. Louis for 'American Idol,' and to have the first ever 'Idol' alum on the panel has always been something that’s been interesting to me."

“We have been searching, you know, and obviously talking to Carrie for a little bit here. It has been a little over two months since the [season 22] finale, but these talks have been going on for a while and we’ve been really excited to make it all happen,” Wolflick added.

In 2022, Carrie Underwood reflected on her journey and acknowledged the role that the singing competition show played in shaping her career.

“I learned a lot, I learned an insane amount,” Underwood said in an interview, per Us Weekly, at the time. “And so much of that is still applied today, it still holds true to what I do now. It was star boot camp and I was trying to soak in as much as I possibly could and, obviously, it launched my career.”

"American Idol" returns to ABC and Hulu in spring 2025.