Carrie Underwood is returning to the American Idol stage 20 years after she was crowned the winner of Season 4.

Carrie Underwood might have hit a snag during Donald Trump's inauguration in January, but she's not worried about it. "She handled the situation like a pro. She’s not looking back, just ahead — to American Idol,

Before she became a country music powerhouse via hits like "Before He Cheats" and was performing at high-profile events like President Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration, Carrie Underwood was a humble Oklahoma farm girl with big dreams of sharing her musical gift with the world.

It’s mind-blowing that it’s been 20 years since Carrie Underwood first auditioned and won American Idol. Now, the famed country singer will come back to the reality competition series audition room as a new replacement judge for Katy Perry.

Katy Perry served as a judge on American Idol since ABC rebooted the canceled Fox series in 2018. But, after six seasons of bringing her playful personality to the judging panel, a creative two truths and a lie post led to the pop singer revealing on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that Season 22 would be her last.