Carrie Underwood to Replace Katy Perry on 'American Idol,' Report Says

Katy Perry departed 'American Idol' as a judge in the Season 22 finale.

By Megan Behnke

Carrie Underwood may very well be returning to her stomping grounds. According to TMZ, the country singer is reportedly nearing a deal to replace Katy Perry as a judge on American Idol. It was revealed earlier this year that Perry was stepping down to focus more on her music after serving as a judge since the singing competition came back for a revival on ABC. Many names have been tossed around by the judges and fans, and it seems like Underwood may be the newest judge.

After winning American Idol Season 4 in 2005, Underwood went on to superstardom and has since taken over the country music scene with eight Grammys under her belt. Sources tell the outlet that Underwood and her team are allegedly "in the final stages of locking her into a contract" to appear on Idol, and could soon join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as a judge.

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(Photo: Catherine Powell/Getty Images for CMT)

TMZ also pointed out that the "Crazy Angels" singer is actually set to appear on Good Morning America this Friday, Aug. 2, for their summer concert series. If the Idol report is, in fact, true, it's possible that Underwood could make a surprise announcement during her appearance, especially since GMA is on ABC, the same network as American Idol. The contract could allegedly be a done deal in a matter of days, but as of now, nothing is confirmed.

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Carrie Underwood has occasionally returned to American Idol, both as a performer and as an advisor back in 2019. If she were to serve as a judge, she certainly would be a pretty great pick, having been through it all before. She knows how it works and is quite the success story after being crowned American Idol. Fellow Idol winner Kelly Clarkson also had her name tossed around, having served as a coach on The Voice for several seasons and frequently mentioning she's "navigated" a similar competition herself.

Earlier this month, Luke Bryan teased Katy Perry's possible replacements, saying that P!nk, Miley Cyrus, and Meghan Trainor have all been in talks. Ever since Perry announced her departure, people couldn't help but wonder who could take over. Her final episode was the Season 22 finale, and speculation has only continued since. American Idol won't be returning until midseason 2025, so whoever is judging will have some time to settle in.

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