The country music star Carrie Underwood is currently a judge on season 24 of American Idol. Now, insiders are claiming that she nearly quit this show before this season even started. Indeed, it seems that Underwood only agreed to come back as a judge for three reasons.
Underwood ‘Struggled’ On American Idol
An insider told The Sun that Underwood, 42, “struggled” during the last season of American Idol. Season 23 was her first season as a judge on the show that she won way back in 2005.
“There’s been a lot of switch-ups into how they’re making this season,” the source alleged. “The Hollywood Week was taken out completely to lessen the amount of time Carrie and the judges filmed in Los Angeles.”
“And because it’s her home base and such a good city for music, they filmed in Nashville,” the insider continued. The source went on to say that there’s also been “more of an emphasis” on filming in Hawaii, more so than any previous seasons.
In prior seasons, the contestants and judges spend just a short stint on the islands. That changed this season, as production at Disney‘s Aulani resort in Oahu will be weeks longer than it ever has been before. In fact, higher ups on American Idol made special accommodations that allowed Underwood to bring her entire family along for the journey.
“A big part of why they changed up the format was to accommodate the judges’ wants more, specifically Carrie,” the insider explained. “She had a hard time dealing with all the backlash and viewer reaction from last season after all the Trump stuff.”
This was a reference to Underwood performing at the inauguration of President Donald Trump last year.
“On top of that, there’s people criticizing her appearance every episode – which is something she struggled with,” the source added. “The noise from the fans was so much louder than she was prepared for and that got to her. There were talks she wanted to quit and not come back when the noise got too loud.”
American Idol ‘Couldn’t Afford’ To Lose Underwood
Making matters even worse was the physical distance that Underwood was feeling from her loved ones.
“She was also struggling with being far from her family,” the source stated. “They wanted to make sure she felt more comfortable on set this year. So they filmed more in Nashville, and they allowed her to bring her whole family to Hawaii.”
The outrage and critiques of Underwood’s first season as a judge on American Idol were incredibly loud. However, producers still did “everything possible” to keep her happy.
“They couldn’t afford to lose her,” the insider concluded.
Joining Underwood on the American Idol judging panel this season are her fellow singers Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. Ryan Seacrest is also returning as host of the reality television singing competition.
In the decades since she won season four of American Idol, Underwood has become one of the most successful winners of all time. That makes her the perfect person to serve as a judge on the show these days.
In the end, we’re glad that Underwood decided to stay on as a judge on American Idol. If you love Underwood as much as we do, be sure to check her out on American Idol on Monday nights on ABC!