Fans think Carrie Underwood isn’t exactly loving her time on ‘American Idol’ — and they might be right
'American Idol' Season 23 is all set to come to a close with the show's top 3 contestants being Jamal Roberts, Breanna Nixa, and John Foster. And it's no news that Carrie Underwood has replaced former judge Katy Perry. However, since the show's premiere in March, fans have been drawing comparisons between Underwood and Perry. While the new judge brings a different kind of energy to the show, this hasn't stopped the fans from slamming Underwood with various remarks, be it for her appearance or her role as a judge on the show. That said, amid all this scrutiny, one fan on X (Formerly Twitter) gave a different take on the matter as they wrote how Underwood herself doesn't seem to be "having fun."
It’s so hard watching Carrie Underwood suffering through her time left on American Idol! You can CLEARLY SEE SHE IS NOT HAVING FUN! Ever since the Easter Show her demeanor has changed! She went from relaxed and excited and singing along to all the songs to sad and depressed and… pic.twitter.com/MLSIujwwqx
— South African 🇿🇦🇺🇸 Patriot (@georgielovesgod) May 13, 2025
This comes after Underwood was criticized for reportedly being insistent on adding the 'Easter Week' episode, which inadvertently changed the format of the show. The X user noted this instance and wrote, "She’s getting ousted JUST for being Christian and wanting a Christian-themed episode and whatever other drama the crew has concocted! Please pray for her because she does NOT deserve this." Despite being an eight-time Grammy Award winner, fans continue to question Underwood's ability to judge the show, as some think she might be tarnishing the legacy of 'Idol'.
In an interaction with a contestant, Underwood gave the hopeful a nice suggestion as she said, "You need to go and watch some of your favorite performers because I still do that.” This prompted Luke Bryan to ask, "Do you watch me?" Underwood hilariously quipped, "I watch Lionel.” Lionel smiled and replied, “God bless you, Carrie.” This was quite a friendly banter between the judges since the two have a good relationship, as reported by Monsters & Critics, but this didn't stop fans from criticizing Underwood.
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"Katy had better chemistry with Lionel and Luke. Carrie's ok, but I don’t think she'll judge for as long as Katy did," one fan wrote on X. Another user added, "I don't watch @carrieunderwood. Why is this show still on?" Fans have made various other interesting observations about Underwood's time on the show. While Underwood might have good intentions, even stating on X how she has a hard time saying no to the contestants, the fans seem to be done with the new judge, even questioning if she will return for the next season.
Saying “no” is the worsty worst worstest. 😢 #AmericanIdol
— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) March 17, 2025
That said, Underwood's humble demeanor might be doing more harm than good to the show. In an interaction with Richie, Underwood asked, "Do I have to do this some more?" to which Richie replied, "You’ve got about a hundred more to go." Underwood has previously written on X how saying no is really hard for her, which makes fans believe that she might not be cut out for 'Idol' and the show needs someone more blunt like Simon Cowell. An insider even told the TV Insider, “The judges are struggling to find their next Simon. They think it would bring back the spark the show needs to boost ratings and get a fresh facelift."
