American Idol: Signs Carrie Underwood May Be Regretting Her New Position As A Judge (She Has Been Heavily Scrutinized & Doesn't Like Eliminating Contestants)

American Idol’s latest addition, Carrie Underwood, has been met with criticism since her debut as a panelist on the singing competition, and she may be regretting taking on such a “tough” role. Carrie was introduced in the spring of 2025 as a replacement for the long-running Katy Perry. Katy maintained this position for a staggering seven seasons. While Katy was criticized for a more direct approach to feedback, Carrie has been scrutinized for her more lenient nature. It seems like Carrie isn’t living up to the audience’s expectations, and the backlash has been significant.

Carrie's start on American Idol season 23 has been rocky. The country superstar, as a previous competition winner in 2005, has had difficulties eliminating contestants. Her feedback is more often praise and encouragement than constructive criticism. While her empathetic nature has been an asset for nervous contestants, Carrie is struggling to make hard decisions. She seems overwhelmed with the position and the gravity of her role. Carrie may be second-guessing her decision to accept a multi-year contract as a judge. She may need to make some changes if she wants to excel in this position.

Carrie Has Been Met With Backlash

Carrie’s Co-Stars Talk About Her Difficulties

Carrie, while an encouraging and optimistic member of the panel, has an incredibly hard time turning down contestants. She and co-stars Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie spoke about this learning curve in an interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. Lionel and Luke are no strangers to these challenges, as the stars have been judges for eight seasons. However, there seem to be some underlying frustrations with Carrie’s habits. Lionel jokingly mimicked Carrie’s judging style, teasing,

“The first contestant? ‘Yes. Go through.’ Second contestant. ‘Yes. Go through.’ Third contestant…Ohhh. And Luke and I would laugh and were like, we go, ‘Well, she’s got to say no.’ She said, ‘Well, she’s so cute. She’s so adorable.’ The answer is no!”

When Carrie chimed in to defend her stance, Lionel, without hesitation, responded, “It was firm. It was a no.” This wasn’t the first comment from her costars as Lionel described Carrie as a “nervous wreck” to TVInsider. Her fellow panelists, undoubtedly, know the difficulty of saying "no" to a hopeful contestant, but rejections are integral to the process.

Carrie’s difficulties have been apparent to audiences. Many believe that the latest judge will hinder the voting process by passing along every contestant. Industry insiders, as reported by RadarOnline, claim that Carrie is actually causing ratings to plummet. An anonymous source claims, “They thought Carrie would bring star power. Instead, the audience is tuning out – and execs are panicking." Carrie may need to change her approach if she wants to maintain public interest. Not everyone can be a star, and difficult decisions need to be made.

Carrie Has Spoken About Her Struggles With Decisions

Carrie Seems Exhausted From The Pressure

Carrie's aware that her judging style isn't unbiased. The country superstar has mentioned that her past as a competitor has made eliminations more difficult. She knows that she was very fortunate to be an AI legend who is now a judge, and wants to give every singer a fighting chance. However, the star isn’t doing the performers justice when she is passing along weaker competitors with outstanding contestants. She’s just setting them up for failure.

Carrie talked about these challenges in an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight. When prompted to discuss the previous night, in which six out of ten contestants were eliminated, Carrie said, “It is an extremely tough spot to be in. I just wanted to pass the buck off to Luke and Lionel.” Carrie seemed emotionally drained from making these substantial decisions. She understands that her verdict could make or break a performer's career. She continues, stating, “I don’t it lightly that we have people’s future in our hands.” Carrie then states that she would rather the American audience vote on eliminations…

While she delivers this line with a panicked smile, the pressure and stress are evident in her demeanor. Those eliminations seem to be weighing heavily on her conscious. Carrie may be feeling overwhelmed and guilty. The superstar could be regretting taking on such a difficult role.

Will Carrie Last On American Idol?

Carrie Is An Asset To The Competition

Although judging and ultimately deciding the fate of highly talented individuals can be a daunting task, Carrie has so much to contribute to this competition. She is a gifted singer and an empathetic individual. While her feedback could use some improvements, she has just joined a well-established show. A learning curve is expected when entering a new position. Carry is willing and able to make the necessary changes, but it is up to her whether she will continue with this position.

Her presence has been a huge comfort for the contestants. Carrie has continuously gone out of her way to ensure everyone feels welcome and heard. She has what it takes to be a fan favorite on American Idol, but she will need to embrace the hard decisions. Sometimes the best thing that you can say to an individual is “no.”