Carrie Underwood Returns to ‘American Idol’: Ryan Seacrest Weighs in on ‘Full-Circle’ Moment: ‘Welcome Home’
In a true “full circle” moment, Carrie Underwood was announced as a new judge on American Idol. Ryan Seacrest, who announced Underwood’s winning moment in 2005, weighed in on the exciting news.
Carrie Underwood will replace Katy Perry on ‘American Idol’
On Aug. 1, Carrie Underwood was announced as Katy Perry’s replacement on American Idol. Perry was a member of the judge’s table alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie since 2018.
“It’s a full-circle moment to go from announcing you as the winner of American Idol 20 years ago to now welcoming you to the judge’s table,” Seacrest wrote on Instagram. “Welcome home, Carrie Underwood!”
Along with Seacrest’s message, he shared two throwback images of him and the country superstar. The first was taken when she was announced as the season 4 winner, and the second image was snapped later in her career.
Underwood quickly responded to Seacrest’s accolades. She wrote, “Thank you, Ryan! Excited to be coming back home!”
‘I’m so proud,’ Carrie Underwood said of ‘American Idol’ return
Twenty years after taking home the crown as the fourth American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood will sit on the opposite side of the judge’s table. In 2005, Carrie was an aspiring singer who had never dreamed her life would take such a dramatic turn after deciding to audition for the newbie series, which had already made a star of Kelly Clarkson.
“I remember being at home in our little house in Checotah and seeing on TV that there were auditions in St. Louis,” Underwood said in a video shared by the series on Instagram. “My mom said, ‘If you wanna go, I’ll drive you.'”
She continued, “I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show. I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since. Even if I go far away, this is my home.”
Since winning American Idol, Underwood has sold 85 million records worldwide, had 28 number 1 singles, and won 8 Grammy Awards, 17 American Music Awards, 10 People’s Choice Awards, and 7 CMA Awards.
1 showstopping performance nailed Carrie Underwood’s place in ‘AI’ history
Carrie Underwood was just 21 when she auditioned for American Idol with Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” After receiving a Golden Ticket to Hollywood and navigating her first time on an airplane, Underwood slowly and steadily made her way through the ranks to the top 24.
However, one showstopping performance nailed Underwood’s place in American Idol history. Just before making the Top 10, she sang a rocking version of Heart’s “Alone” that Simon Cowell boldly predicted her future as a performer.
“I will make the prediction [that] not only will you win this show, you will sell more records than any other previous Idol winner,” Cowell said. As reported by Forbes Magazine in 2015, Carrie Underwood outsold Kelly Clarkson, and the two women have battled back and forth for the top spot as the best-selling American Idol graduate ever since.
Carrie Underwood begins her tenure as an American Idol soon. Auditions will kick off Monday, Aug. 12, with the return of “Idol Across America,” the live virtual nationwide search for the next superstar, taking place across all 50 states plus Washington, D.C
