As whispers swirl that American Idol legend Carrie Underwood may return to the judge’s panel for Season 24, fans are already picking sides. Is it time for a comeback — or should Carrie stick to the stage? While ABC stays silent, online polls are exploding with opinions, and one thing’s clear: this debate is far from over.
Season 24 of American Idol is a go, but so far, the judges have not been revealed, so it’s unclear if Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, and Carrie Underwood will be returning to their seats at the table in 2026.
Ever since the show was revamped and began airing on ABC in 2018, Bryan and Richie have been staples. For the first seven seasons at the new network, the guys sat alongside Katy Perry. But Perry’s music career was calling her name, and she decided to leave the judges’ panel after Season 22 in 2024.
All eyes were on who would replace the “Roar” singer following her exit, and Underwood was ultimately named as her successor. Twenty years after her own American Idol experience, the country superstar returned to the show to help decide who would be the next aspiring artist to have their dreams come true.
Because of her history on the show — she won Season 4 when she was 22 years old — Underwood was able to offer invaluable advice to the contestants, while also bringing a unique perspective to the judges’ table.
After the Season 23 finale in May, Underwood weighed in on her future with the show, and didn’t give a definitive answer about whether or not she’d be returning. “I had a lot of fun, for sure,” Underwood told E! “I didn’t know how I’d feel about it, [but] Luke and Lionel, and the crew … the people that work on the show are just so easy to be around.”
When the interviewer pressed suggested that Underwood, Bryan, and Richie should all return next season, the “Before He Cheats” songstress admitted, “That would be cool, I think.”
With Underwood’s future on the show up in the air, we want to know how you feel about her potential return. Vote in the poll below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section too!
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