CARRIE Underwood was NOT the first pick to be American Idol’s newest judge as the network had eyes on an A-list pop star, The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal.

The decision was “not unanimous” to have the country singer take the place of Katy Perry when she stepped onto the panel for season 23 of the reality competition.

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Carrie Underwood judges American Idol during season 23Credit: American Idol

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Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan on Idol’s Easter faith-based specialCredit: Disney
Carrie, 42, has made a polarizing splash after being cast in the trio of superstar judges for season 23 of American Idol.

While many viewers “love” the Before He Cheats singer and gush she’s a “breath of fresh air”, others have been less impressed by her performance as a judge.

It seems the divide began long before Carrie stepped foot on the Idol stage, as producers and network execs were also not all on the same page about hiring her.

According to a production insider, Carrie was “not the network’s first pick to be a judge this season.”

“They spoke with a handful of other A-list artists in pop and country before landing on Carrie.

“It was not a unanimous decision,” the insider added.

Before Carrie was officially offered the coveted Idol judges seat, her co-star, Luke Bryan, revealed who he thought should step in to fill Katy’s shoes.

“I’ve said several names. I think Pink has been in the talks, Miley Cyrus has been in the talks, Meghan Trainor has been in the talks.

“But they’re being tight-lipped about it. I think Disney is just trying to figure out what they want to do.

“And we’re just kind of sitting back and waiting until they decide,” Luke previously told Billboard.

KAT’S OUT OF THE BAG

Luke also expressed doubt that the person who was hired to fill in for Katy would be able to pull it off the same way she did.

“Katy was really perfect for that job and I think they’re just working real hard to find somebody that can really come in and do the job that Katy did,” Luke admitted.

Katy Perry will ‘never’ return to American Idol after ‘suffocating’ experience & ‘won’t watch’ Carrie Underwood’s season
After causing some controversy during her time on the show, Carrie could be “one and done” with being a judge and may not return, The U.S. Sun previously revealed.

While it’s “too early” for casting next season and “no decisions” have been made for season 24’s judging panel, the show will have an idea of who will be back “soon.”

“They’ll have more of an idea in the next month or so. Nothing is off the table.

“At the beginning of filming, everyone thought [Carrie] would be back next year.

“Now, it’s much more up in the air,” the source claimed.

Who are the past American Idol winners?

The previous American Idol winners include:

Kelly Clarkson (2002)

Ruben Studdard (2003)

Fantasia Barrino (2004)

Carrie Underwood (2005)

Taylor Hicks (2006)

Jordin Sparks (2007)

David Cook (2008)

Kris Allen (2009)

Lee DeWyze (2010)

Scotty McCreery (2011)

Phillip Phillips (2012)

Candice Glover (2013)

Caleb Johnson (2014)

Nick Fradiani (2015)

Trent Harmon (2016)

Maddie Poppe (2018)

Laine Hardy (2019)

Just Sam (2020)

Chayce Beckham (2021)

Noah Thompson (2022)

Iam Tongi (2023)

They added: “Her Idol future is much more uncertain now than it was and I think that feeling is mutual.

“She seems miserable being away from her family and in LA this much.

“I don’t think she wants to have to answer to TV networks and play the ‘Hollywood’ game, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if she’s one and done.

“But again, no decisions have been made yet from either side.”

Before accepting the Idol gig, Carrie primarily resided in an affluent suburb just outside of Nashville on a property that includes 400 acres of land – a far cry from the hustle of Hollywood.

She lives there with her sons, Isiah, 10, and Jacob, 6, and her retired hockey star husband, Mike Fisher, 44.

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Katy Perry stuns in a blue cutout dress on the American Idol stageCredit: Getty

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Carrie Underwood dazzles in a gorgeous blue dressCredit: Instagram/americanidol

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American Idol’s 2024 judges from L-R: Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke BryanCredit: Getty