‘American Idol’ Judges Feared They ‘Might Have a Problem’ With Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood is a natural as a judge on “American Idol,” but her fellow judges were a little concerned at first. Their worry was put to rest as she brought something completely different to the show.

Lionel Richie Said They Thought Carrie Underwood Wasn’t ‘Vicious’ Enough

In an April 2025 interview with Billboard, the veteran judges dished on the newcomer and revealed their initial worry that Underwood might not be critical enough.

Richie explained, “We kept hearing, ‘She’s so sweet, so cute,’ and we thought we might have a problem with her, because where’s that vicious side?”

He continued, “And then she finally had to say no to someone. The first time, we almost had to stop the show. She said to Luke, ‘Do I have to do this some more?’ I said, ‘You’ve got about a hundred more to go.’”

She might not be vicious, but Underwood is every bit as sweet as her reputation, according to Richie. “She brings a certain compassion to the show that I’m loving because she’s very caring,” he said.

The legendary singer added, “I always love to tell this story — she brought us a basket of goodies. Stewed okra, pickles. And I thought to myself, ‘That’s so sweet. She stopped by a market and she picked up one of these baskets.’ No, everything in that basket was homemade. That was kind of different for us.”

Luke Bryan Shares Underwood’s Best Qualities

Bryan also reflected on how Underwood brings a special kindness to the judging panel.

“When you look at what she embodies with ‘American Idol,’ she’s a big time representative of what America’s sweetheart is supposed to be and she maintains that so amazingly and she does it by caring like she does and having the kindness with the kids,” he said.

The singer noted, “It’s been fun watching her learn this role. Until now, it’s probably been a lot of scripted stuff where you come in knowing exactly what you’re going to do, but ‘Idol’ makes you really work on the fly.”

The veteran judges have been doing this for a number of years, but Underwood found her stride pretty quickly. “Carrie rolled right in here and just started picking up the role of what it is,” Bryan shared.

“Idol” host Ryan Seacrest also praised Underwood’s work ethic. “She can keep a schedule and it’s a great symbiotic relationship,” he said. “She likes a schedule and I love a schedule. She’s ready early. Carrie and I are standing there tapping our feet ready to go.”

Seacrest added, “I say it for fun, but it’s part of why she’s successful. She runs a tight ship.”