On Thursday, August 1, it was revealed that Carrie Underwood will join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie as a judge on American Idol.
Her first season as a judge will air 20 years after she won the show, which launched her to superstardom.
American Idol announced the news with a post: “From #AmericanIdol hopeful, to global icon…to IDOL judge! Home-grown superstar @carrieunderwood will join us for Season 8!”
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Host Ryan Seacrest also celebrated her return with a heartfelt social media post. He shared two photos of them on the Idol stage: one from her winning moment during Season Four and another recent one.
His post read, “It’s a full-circle moment to go from announcing you as the winner of @americanidol 20 years ago to now welcoming you to the judge’s table. Welcome home, @carrieunderwood!”
Carrie Underwood is equally excited about her return. During her Summer Concert Series on Good Morning America, she told hosts Lara Spencer and Sam Champion, “It feels like home.”
She added, “There are so many people who still work on the show that were there when I was a contestant, so I feel like being on both sides of the coin, I’ll be able to offer some insight and help.”
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The “Good Girl” singer also shared what kind of judge she thinks she will be and a potential challenge she might face.
“I do have a big problem, hopefully it’s not a problem,” she said. “I can’t lie. I just can’t. You can tell. Hopefully, I’ll be very honest, but very encouraging.”
With Carrie Underwood joining the panel, we were curious about the judges’ salaries for the upcoming season.
How much do the judges on American Idol make?
Before she left the show, Katy Perry famously made $25 million per season, compared to the $10 million Lionel Richie received. Luke Bryan earned $12 million, according to Forbes, and host Ryan Seacrest also takes home $12 million per season, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
While there are no official reports on Underwood’s salary, there is a $25 million gap in the show’s budget after Perry’s departure. Given Underwood’s star power, she might be earning $25 million or more, depending on what her team negotiated.
Whatever her salary is, we’re sure it’s going to be an exciting season, and we can’t wait to watch!
