Will Carrie Underwood Return to ‘American Idol’ Next Season?
As American Idol prepares to crown its next winner, we can’t help but look ahead to next season. This year has seen the return of Carrie Underwood in nostalgic fashion, 20 years after her incredible win. She’s joined the panel alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as they’ve helped narrow the field down to three: Breanna Nix, Jamal Roberts, and John Foster.
As the judges have been hard at work identifying the next champion, the season has served as a nostalgic look back at Carrie’s season. Will she be back for season 24, or was this a one-time appearance for the country music star? Showrunner and executive producer Megan Michaels Wolflick addressed the show’s future in an interview with TVLine.
Megan said Carrie “really had to carve out her own role. She was stepping into the shoes of a former judge, but she needed to be her own person, and she definitely did that. I think she brought a nostalgia factor, and I also like that she brought a little criticism and constructive feedback, which is very much needed. She knows back in her day how hard she was pushed every week to become the best. So I think she’s brought a lot to the show, and I hope people love it.”
Carrie has not addressed her future on the show, and the same can be said for Luke and Lionel, but they’ve both been on the show since 2018 and have given no indication that they’ll be leaving any time soon.
Megan discussed what’s to come for the judging panel, saying, “It’s early days still, but I love our panel. I think we’re in a good place. I’m excited for them to crown their first winner together as a threesome. They’re all passionate about the show.”
Idol fans can rest assured that the music competition series will be returning. Megan continued, “Obviously, American Idol is coming back as a show, and we already have thousands of submissions coming in for next season. So the momentum is coming, but we’ll have to stay tuned. We never share our hand before the end of the season, but it should be coming soon, and we’re excited about the show doing so well.”
Do you want to see the judging panel stay in tact for next season?
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
