How Lionel Richie & Luke Bryan Balance Out New Host Carrie Underwood On American Idol

After Katy Perry left "American Idol" in 2024, country music star Carrie Underwood was announced as the show's new third judge for its 23rd season, joining Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. Though her star power and experience as a singer surely give her enough authority to assume this role, Underwood has reportedly taken an alternate approach to judging compared to Richie and Bryan.

Per Underwood, being a judge can be a difficult task, considering it's part of her job to let down good people with big dreams. "There were so many really nice, sweet, wonderful people just waiting for their dreams to come true and sometimes you have to say, 'Not today,'" she told Entertainment Tonight (via Facebook). However, her judging style counters Richie and Bryan, who aren't yet accustomed to hearing Underwood's wholesome takes on the contestants. "She is using one word that Luke and I are trying to get used to," Richie told Entertainment Tonight. "She goes, 'Oh, but they're so sweet!'"

Considering she's been a bright star among country artists for nearly two decades, some might forget that Carrie Underwood underwent a stunning transformation after winning "American Idol's" fourth season in 2005, getting her big break and building her net worth to a reported $140 million by 2021. Underwood almost didn't compete on "American Idol," but she understandably might be more willing to put herself in contestants' shoes and empathize with them as a first-time judge. Or, at least, compared to Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who've had more time to develop thicker skins as judges. Though Underwood may still be wrapping her head around how to firmly turn down "American Idol" contestants, Bryan acknowledged it's a difficult part of their job. "When she has to say 'No' she's like, 'I don't [want to] tell them no,'" he told E! News. "But it's kind of a part [of the job]. It's hard when you got a kid that's young and they haven't found who they are musically."

Despite their battle-hardened personalities as judges, Richie and Bryan still take an empathetic approach to their positions. Richie told Live Nation in 2023 that a judge's goal should be to leave contestants with the tools to better themselves, even if they don't move forward in the competition. "I've been there, done that," he said, relating to contestants' experiences. "It's not one of those things where I'm imagining what they're feeling. I know exactly what they're feeling. And what we try to do is encourage."