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Carrie Underwood returned to her American Idol roots as a judge on season 23, bringing her star power and firsthand experience as one of the show’s most successful alumni. Many viewers celebrated her homecoming and praised her thoughtful, poised critiques. However, some fans questioned whether her polished persona translated into the kind of dynamic, high-energy judging they’ve come to expect. According to a source, ABC didn’t necessarily choose Underwood as their first pick to replace Katy Perry. Here’s what to know.

ABC allegedly didn’t choose Carrie Underwood as their ‘first’ choice to replace Katy Perry in ‘American Idol’ Season 23

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Carrie Underwood stepped into the spotlight as a judge in American Idol Season 23 after Katy Perry stepped down. Perry announced that she planned to release new music and tour after several seasons alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie. While the pop star adored judging on the show, it was time for her to get back to her original love — making music.

As for Underwood, she won American Idol Season 4 and has become one of the most successful singers ever produced from the franchise. She certainly has a lot of helpful insights for the competitors, as she once stood in their shoes. However, a production insider told The U.S. Sun that she wasn’t “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,” the source revealed. “It was not a unanimous decision.”

This comes after previous reports claiming Underwood has “ruffled” feathers in production. “Things started great with her this season, but the longer she’s been a judge, the more feathers she has ruffled,” another source told The U.S. Sun. “The crew thought at first she was nervous and distant, but I think she’s just cold, even if that’s not her intention. It still hasn’t seemed to click with her that this is a worldwide franchise with hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars on the line.”

Earlier sources claimed Jennifer Lopez, Shania Twain, and Taylor Swift were considered as judges

Carrie Underwood seems like an obvious choice to judge American Idol, as she competed and won in the past. However, producers allegedly considered numerous big names in the industry to sit next to Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

“They are looking at several options for replacing Katy,” a consultant told The U.S. Sun before Underwood was announced. “Names like Jennifer Lopez and Shania Twain… are in the frame because they have worked on the show before and are ‘safe’ faces, but there is a push for Miley [Cyrus].”

Another source told DailyMail.com that producers were looking at “a return from the past.”

“J.Lo will be asked to come back,” the source echoed. “When people come back, things work … people like nostalgia, and people like Jen. It would be a big get to get her back.”

The insider added that host Ryan Seacrest told the show creators to “go for someone that is out of the box if they do a complete overhaul. No one thought Steven Tyler was going to be what he was, and he was a fun choice.”

Katy Perry is allegedly ‘not interested’ in returning to ‘American Idol’ Season 23

American Idol Season 23 fans are enjoying watching Carrie Underwood as a judge. However, many fans miss the chaotic energy that Katy Perry brought to the table. So, does Perry plan on returning after “The Lifetimes Tour” finishes?

A source told The U.S. Sun that Perry is “not interested” in returning to Idol. She also allegedly hasn’t seen Underwood as a judge.

“Katy doesn’t even watch show, so she hasn’t seen Carrie,” the source said. “But she feels more like herself now than she has in years being a pop star. She is a pop star to the core, and her team all felt like the show was holding her back; she felt that too.”

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