Carrie Underwood Claps Back After Being Booed on ‘American Idol’

Carrie Underwood is clapping back after she was booed on American Idol.

The Season 4 winner and current judge previously revealed on X that she gets “booed A LOT” from the show’s Hollywood Week audience.

And she was not lying. Underwood had plenty of disagreements with the audience during Idol’s “Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover” episodes, which wrapped airing this week. Her constructive criticism was not a crowd favorite, inciting many boos from time to time. Fellow judge Luke Bryan had to defend Underwood at one point, saying, “She only won this. She knows.”

During Monday’s episode, Underwood took to X to clap back at all the boos she’s been getting. “Boo me. I don’t care,” she wrote, with a crying laughing emoji, winky face with tongue emoji, and a zany face emoji. Having been through that circus before on the other side, Underwood definitely knows what they’re going through, which is probably why she isn’t afraid to be tough.

She also clapped back at the actual crowd once it got to a point that they were really interfering with the judging process, telling them, “You’re not included in the discussions.” The booing got intense after contestant Mor performed an original song during his “Music City Takeover” performance. Underwood already had a feeling she was going to get booed, saying she loves it and their boos are feeding her.

In her feedback to Mor, she said he made a mistake by trying out original material, especially with an “incredible band” sitting behind him. “I feel like it was a missed opportunity,” she shared. Much to the crowd’s delight, both in the audience at home, Mor made it through to the next round even with Underwood’s criticism.

This is Carrie Underwood’s second season as a judge on American Idol, joining last season to replace Katy Perry, who departed at the end of Season 22 in 2024. Along with her and Bryan, Lionel Richie returns as a judge this season. He and Bryan have been judges on American Idol since the revival premiered in 2018.

Now that Hollywood Week is done, it’s time to look forward to fun in the sun. The remaining hopefuls take the stage at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i to perform for their own families, industry tastemakers, and their fellow hopefuls. Only 20 will move forward, and it all begins on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu.