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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 05: Carrie Underwood arrives to 'The Drew Barrymore Show' in Midtown on ... [+] March 05, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Aeon/GC Images)
American Idol returns to ABC tonight, but one familiar face won’t be at the judges’ table. After seven seasons, Katy Perry announced that Season 22 would be her last, making way for another Idol legend to take her place: Carrie Underwood.
The Grammy-winning county singer, who first rose to fame as the winner of American Idol in 2005, will take over Perry’s seat when the new season premieres on Sunday, March 9. She’ll be sitting alongside longtime judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who have been part of the ABC reboot since 2018.
When recently asked on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon what it’s like to have an OG Idol on the panel, Richie said their new sidekick is a “jukebox… she knows every song that the contestants are singing,” joking that Underwood can’t help but join in. “I go, ‘Carrie, they’re competing. It’s not you. You already won,’” he quipped.
Here’s everything you need to know about Perry’s decision to leave American Idol, as well as Underwood’s journey from Season 4 champion to judge.
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AMERICAN IDOL "618 (Season Finale)" The live coast-to-coast, three-hour season finale features ... [+] special performances from music legends and today's top artists, with the Top 3 contestants taking the stage for the final time as America decides who will become the next American Idol. SUNDAY, MAY 21 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EDT/5:00-8:00 p.m. PDT), on ABC. (Eric McCandless/ABC via Getty Images) KATY PERRY
ABC via Getty Images
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