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Carrie Underwood will reportedly make $12 million when she returns to American Idol as a judge 20 years after she won the fourth season of the show and launched her career.
Though Underwood appears to be making less than outgoing judge Katy Perry’s $25 million, she’ll be close to returning judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, who make $12 million and $10 million, respectively, each season, per reports. Underwood’s new job as an Idol judge also reunites her with longtime host Ryan Seacrest, who embraced the full circle moment when Underwood confirmed she would return to the show in 2025.
Underwood shared a sentimental promo for the upcoming season of American Idol on Instagram on Wednesday (December 18), garnering emotional responses from longtime fans. The clip reminisces on Underwood’s audition for the show in the early 2000s. Though she admitted she was “a little bit nervous,” the judges at the time, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, unanimously sent her to Hollywood.
“I can’t believe it,” Underwood said in the clip shared on Instagram. “Twenty years ago, I was standing on a stage just like this one.”
The preview for the next season of American Idol garnered hundreds of emotional comments as of publication time on Thursday morning (December 19). One Instagram commented noted “the fact she’s wearing the same color just makes this more special & emotional.” Another wrote, “I’m not crying you’re crying.” Another comment reads: “That’s our girl! From American Idol to country queen.”
The new season of American Idol will premiere on March 9 on ABC, and will be available the following day on Hulu.