'American Idol' is welcoming Carrie Underwood back home! Underwood, who won the fourth season of Idol back in 2005, is set to join the show as a judge for its coming 23rd season early next year. She'll take over the judge's spot from Katy Perry, who departed at the end of last season.
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00:00So even if I go far away, this is my home."
00:06American Idol is welcoming Carrie Underwood back home.
00:09Underwood, who won the fourth season of Idol back in 2005,
00:13is set to join the show as a judge for its upcoming 23rd season early next year.
00:18She'll take over the judge's spot from Katy Perry, who departed at the end of last season.
00:23I'm proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show,
00:26and I'm so proud of everything that I've accomplished since."
00:29Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan are set to return for the upcoming season,
00:33along with longtime host Ryan Seacrest.
00:35Underwood is arguably the most successful Idol winner in the show's history.
00:40The superstar has gone on to win eight Grammy Awards,
00:42and a combined 25 Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Awards.
00:48She's also had eight albums top the U.S. country charts.
00:51Four of them also hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
00:54Executive producer and showrunner Megan Wolflik spoke about welcoming the alum
00:58to the judges' table, saying,
01:00"'Carrie' embodies the true spirit of Idol, as she herself is the definition of the Cinderella story.
01:06Our future hopefuls will have the chance to receive advice from someone who has
01:09walked in their exact footsteps every step of the way."
01:12I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show.
01:18The winner is Carrie Underwood!
01:21The 23rd season of American Idol is slated to premiere in early 2025.
01:26Live virtual auditions are set to begin August 12.
01:29To watch the full announcement, head to THR.com.
01:32And for the latest entertainment news and updates, keep watching The Hollywood Reporter News.