Carrie Underwood: ‘American Idol’ Judging Is Honest, Not 'Harsh'

Carrie Underwood has a message for those who think she’s too harsh as a judge on American Idol: She’s just trying to help.

The country superstar addressed the criticism during an interview on SiriusXM’s The Highway on Wednesday (Sept. 24).

“Sometimes I get in trouble from people like, ‘How dare she say that it wasn’t perfect?’” Underwood admitted.

The “Before He Cheats” singer continued, “And I’m like, I just want everybody to learn and that’s part of it. And nobody wants to just hear that they’re amazing all the time.”

“Maybe some people do. But that’s not going to get you anywhere,” she added with a laugh

'We Just Want Everybody to Grow and Get Better'

The Grammy Award winner insisted that her critiques come from a place of encouragement, not negativity.

“We just want everybody to be able to grow and get better, and be the most awesome version of themselves that they could be,” she explained.

Underwood also admitted that stepping into the role of judge hasn’t been the easiest transition, especially when it comes to being open on camera.

“I’m not great at that, am I?” she joked. “In general, I feel like I’m such a private person. I’ve just never been great at putting down the walls and feeling like I could be myself. I’m slightly better than I used to be.”

From Contestant to Judge

Underwood knows the American Idol stage as well as anyone.

She won Season 4 in 2005, competing alongside Constantine Maroulis and runner-up Bo Bice, before releasing her debut album Some Hearts, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

Nearly 20 years later, she returned to the show that launched her career — this time as a judge, joining Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie for Season 23 in 2025 after Katy Perry’s departure.

Underwood is expected to return to the panel when American Idol Season 24 premieres in January 2026 on ABC, alongside Bryan, Richie and host Ryan Seacrest.

20 Things Carrie Underwood Has Done Since Winning 'American Idol'

Carrie Underwood has been, well, busy since winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. Since the confetti fell, the country singer has released nine albums and embarked on seven tours. She's also tried her hand at acting and launched a handful of businesses.

Over the years she's become one of the biggest success stories to come out of the show, winning countless awards and amassing a staggering net worth of over $100 million.

Keep scrolling to see 20 things Underwood has done since her time on the reality singing competition.

Source: Carrie Underwood Defends Her ‘American Idol’ Judging: Honest, Not ‘Harsh’

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