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Carrie Underwood’s judging style on ‘American Idol’ might be doing more harm than good — and it’s obvious

We think Carrie Underwood’s time as an ‘American Idol’ contestant might be hurting her judging career

Carrie Underwood, the latest judge on the panel of judges of 'American Idol', debuted on the show in 2005, just three years after the first season aired. Underwood went on to win the show at the very young age of 21. This shot up her career, making her the most successful 'American Idol' winner ever, with a record of 16,389,000 sold in her entire career. Fast forward to 2025, and Underwood was brought back to take Katy Perry's place as a judge after her exit.

Underwood joined the show and became the only judge on the panel who was an alumnus of the show. This obviously puts Underwood in a special position where she empathizes with the contestants and tries to imagine herself in their shoes. This often makes her hesitant to say no to contestants, as she has even revealed in a tweet she made. However, 'Idol' as a show relies on eliminations for other contestants to progress further.

As reported by SKJ Bollywood News, past judges of the show, like Simon Cowell, were more blunt with their approach, which was the driving force of the original 'Idol' show, as audiences loved to see contestants get rejected in the most atrocious ways possible. Since then, Cowell has mended his ways, finally striking a balance between the stark bluntness and appreciation a judge should have for the contestants.

As a judge, one can lie on two ends of the spectrum; you can either be a Cowell or an Underwood, but the actual reality lies in between. A good judge needs to be critical when the moment calls for it, without hesitating to appreciate the contestants for their talents. While the other cast of 'Idol' have grown to love Underwood. In an interview with Billboard, Lionel Richie revealed how she felt about Underwood joining the show. "We heard, 'She’s so sweet, so cute,' and we thought we might have a problem with her, because where’s that vicious side?' It wasn’t until she had to say no to a contestant for the first time that things got real. And then she finally had to say no to someone."

Richie recalled the first time Underwood had to say no to a contestant as she said, "Do I have to do this some more?" to which Richie replied, "You’ve got about a hundred more to go." While the 'Idol' cast has been appreciative of Underwood, it's no secret that often times Underwood shrugs off responsibility. One such instance was when judges had to choose between Josh King and Mattie Pruitt, and Underwood simply wheeled her chair away and said, "I have nothing to do with this."