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‘American Idol’ fans have figured out what’s making the show ‘boring’ — and it’s not the performances

The judging on ‘American Idol’ feels so scripted now, fans are begging for something real

'American Idol' season 23 witnessed a shake-up in the judges' panel when season 4 winner Carrie Underwood replaced Katy Perry. Meanwhile, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have helmed the role since 2018. Fans were expecting fireworks and constructive feedback from the stalwarts of the music industry, instead, they were left disappointed with scripted opinions and constant bias. "The judges are boring and are making the show unwatchable. They say very little that is interesting, insightful, or educational. They repeat, ramble, and rave. About 20% of the show is on them, yet they infect 100% of it. Get more like Harry Connick- he was insightful," a disgruntled viewer voiced on a Reddit thread dedicated to the show.

"They're not great during auditions and Hollywood, but once voting rounds start, they're completely useless and will just repeat the same ten or so phrases collectively ad infinitum," a fan took a dig at the current judging trio. "They all should be critiquing more, that’s for sure. But I think Luke can at least be entertaining at times, & Lionel sometimes too. Carrie adds absolutely nothing. She’s just sort of there," a netizen chimed. "I’ve said for a while that I wish the show would adopt more of a Dancing With the Stars model once they get to voting. Have them give scores that are weighted by the audience vote. It’d invite them to be more involved, more critical, and have their comments taken more seriously by the singers, too," a viewer reasoned. 

There is a growing call among the Idol fans to replace 'Jukebox Carrie' in the coming season. The country music icon has been trolled online for her judging skills. As per The Sun, viewers were left unhappy after the 'Before He Cheats' hitmaker rudely critiqued Jamal Roberts, one of the three finalists, over his performance. Since everything depends on the television ratings, an insider has claimed that the producers have been blaming Underwood for the lacklustre popularity of the show among the audience. As per Radar Online, freelance writer and critic Rob Shuter recently wrote on his Substack page that "everyone is out to get Carrie."  

“Everyone’s blaming Carrie,” a production insider tells #ShuterScoop, he wrote. “Lionel [Richie], Luke [Bryan], and even Ryan [Seacrest] have turned on her behind the scenes. They say she’s not connecting with the audience — and the numbers prove it.” “They thought Carrie would bring star power,” an insider revealed. “Instead, the audience is tuning out — and execs are panicking.” Another insider complained that Underwood has been making the show "boring" and "dragging" it down with her leniency and "pity parties" for the contestants.

"Carrie was not the first choice to replace Katy. Miley Cyrus was. But they felt her contract demands were too high, so they pivoted to Carrie. "Now, they see Carrie as being a pushover without drama and believe they should have ponied up the money for Miley, who's a lot edgier and would have made for a much better show," the insider continued. With the audience have the same reaction for the other two judges it will be interesting to note a significant change in the judge's panel on 'American Idol' during the coming season.