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'A Full Circle Moment': Ryan Seacrest Welcomes Carrie Underwood As New American Idol Judge Nearly 20 Years After Her Win
Ryan Seacrest warmly welcomed Carrie Underwood back to American Idol with nostalgic throwback photos, celebrating her return to the show nearly 20 years after her title win.
Ryan Seacrest is celebrating Carrie Underwood’s homecoming at American Idol, nearly 20 years after she won the coveted singing competition. Underwood was announced as the next Idol judge, taking over from Katy Perry and joining a panel already consisting of Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, on Thursday, August 1.
“It's a full circle moment to go from announcing you as the winner of [American Idol] 20 years ago to now welcoming you to the judge’s table,” Seacrest wrote on Instagram on Thursday, shortly after the announcement. “Welcome home, @carrieunderwood!” he added
Along with the nostalgic caption, the longtime Idol host posted two snaps of himself and Underwood over the years. The first picture showed the pair during the finale of the show’s fourth season in 2005, when the singer bested Bo Bice to win the title. The second image featured the pair on the talent show stage in 2016.
Underwood became the first former Idol contestant to join the judge’s panel when her name was announced on GMA yesterday, alongside a clip of her leaving her hometown in Oklahoma to audition for the show nearly two decades ago. Since then, Underwood has gone on to carve her name in the music industry in golden letters, winning eight Grammys and several other equally coveted recognitions in her field.
“I remember being at home in our little house and seeing on TV that there were auditions in St. Louis. My mom said, ‘If you want to go, I'll drive you,’” Underwood said in the clip. “I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” she added of her journey on Idol.
Underwood further expressed in the footage that she was proud of everything she was able to accomplish on the show and everything she's accomplished since. The singer, for those unversed, is one of the most celebrated names in the country music space, with nine albums and numerous sold-out headlining tours to her name.
“This is a full circle moment both for the show and for the audiences at home,” Disney Television Group president Craig Erwich said in honor of Underwood, echoing the same sentiments as Seacrest. “As a former idol and dynamic musical force, she brings a remarkably unique perspective to one of the most popular shows on television,” he further noted in his press statement.
Season 23 of American Idol, with Underwood, Bryan, and Richie as judges, is set to premiere in spring 2025.
Perry announced her departure from the show in February, citing a desire to explore the pulse of her own beat and maybe bring new music as the reason for her exit. The Roar singer is set to release her forthcoming studio album, 143, her first since Smile (2020), on September 20.
ALSO READ: 'It's Been Incredible': Katy Perry Opens Up About Her Exit From American Idol After Seven Seasons
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