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Simon Cowell was right about Carrie Underwood’s ‘American Idol’ future — but even he didn't expect this

None of us expected Carrie Underwood to react like this to Simon Cowell predicting her 'American Idol' win

Carrie Underwood has to be one of the most successful 'American Idol' winners. After earning the victory title of 'American Idol' Season 4, Underwood went on to have a successful musical career, winning multiple acclaimed awards and the love of the fans. Her journey came full circle when she stepped into the judging role of 'American Idol' Season 23, replacing Katy Perry. However, before making it big, Underwood faced her own struggles as a contestant on 'American Idol'. While Judge Simon Cowell had predicted her rise to stardom, instead of basking in the glory of the praises, the Grammy winner had something else on her mind.

In a heartfelt Instagram post shared on Thursday, April 24, Underwood looked back on her 'American Idol' journey by reading from her journal, written during Rock-and-Roll Week in April 2025. Talking about her performance of Heart's 'Alone,' she shared, "I, despite my mile-high hair, did a wonderful job tonight. All the judges praised me. Simon told me that I was not just the girl to beat, but the person to beat. He then went on to make a prediction that I would not only win the AI competition, but I would sell more albums than any other American Idol has," as per Screen Rant.

Underwood further added, "Someone's confident," before the video transitioned into a clip of Cowell making his now-famous prediction. The video then highlights her remarkable career achievements, that is, over 85 million records sold and 29 #1 singles, proving Cowell's prediction was spot-on. Underwood also poked fun at her 1980s-themed outfit and sky-high hair in the throwback performance while talking about how crucial song choice was and the pressure she felt at the time.

In another Instagram video, Underwood rewatched her iconic 'American Idol' performance and reflected on how Cowell’s praise affected her at the time. While she called his feedback "an incredible prediction," Underwood admitted it also brought unexpected pressure. "It kind of made me feel like I had a target on my back and that everybody's going to hate me," she said. Cowell's words made her "nervous," as she feared her fellow contestants wouldn't like her anymore. Still, she concluded, "That compliment outweighed the fear," and it gave her confidence in her chances of winning. 

Notably, in another lighthearted Instagram post, Underwood shared a clip from her 'Idol to Icon' YouTube series, reflecting on a past critique from Cowell during her 'American Idol' days, as reported by Screen Rant. In the clip, Cowell had said her performance of 'Bless the Broken Road' was "a little robotic, "though he added she 'sang it beautifully.' Underwood admitted, "I will say, he wasn't wrong [laughs]." She further said, "It was top 5. It was like, 'Okay, you know, I don't know if it's the time to, like, go out on a limb and do anything crazy.' So picking something that you're comfortable with, and then trying to, like, work with the staging?"

She continued, "I consider myself a vocalist. Like, I want to sing things well. And, if I ever try to think too much about what I'm doing on stage, I feel like my vocals suffer. So he was not wrong in his assessment. It was kind of a half-compliment, half-not, but he was correct." Ending on a humorous note, Underwood playfully did the robot dance, quipping, “Alright, Simon. I mean, robotic then. Does this look a little more robotic to you?" She captioned the post, "Robotic then...but how 'bout these robot moves?!"