Carrie Underwood's Killer Legs Can't Distract From Her Dry Hair Extensions On American Idol

"Jesus Take the Wheel" artist Carrie Underwood's return to "American Idol" — this time as a judge — reminded fans about several of the country music star's defining qualities. Some "Idol" fans were recently brought back to the singer's early days as a contestant on the show, where she looked unrecognizable with her humble farm girl look, while an interview with her, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan exposed she's a bit of a softy compared to her fellow judges. Underwood's killer legs, which also made appearances at President Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration and during her 2025 New Year's Eve performance, have also been stars of the show, though another, less flattering aspect of her physical appearance also stood out in a social media promo posted on Facebook on March 2.

Standing side-by-side with Richie, Bryan, and "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, Underwood apparently channeled her inner Kimberly Guilfoyle with obvious hair extensions that draped beyond her shoulders. Though her stunning legs peaked out from her hot pink dress, they weren't enough to draw attention from her dry extensions, which stood out like sore thumbs compared to her vibrant platinum blonde hair. While parts of her do were mildly frizzy, her extensions were noticeably clumped together. One close-up photo of the "Idol" cast also shows the extensions were subtly muted compared to her natural hair's (dyed) bright color.

Fans who've kept a close eye on "American Idol" winner and country music icon Carrie Underwood know hair extensions are not a new element of the artist's hairstyle. Her history with extensions dates back to her early career, and she told Donna Bella in a November 25, 2008 post that she uses clip-in products to minimize hair damage. Habit Hidden Extensions also posted about providing Underwood's blonde extensions in November 18, 2017. "Had so much fun in Nashville doing @carrieunderwood's with @habit.hand.tied.extensions & giving her our signature Habit blonde," the company wrote on Instagram.

Though her extensions in the "Idol" promo weren't working, fans previously showed appreciation for her long hair, which they thought were glamorous. "Can Carrie Underwood take her extensions out and put them in my hair?" one X user wrote in December 2014. However, some reviews of her more recent looks, like her Inauguration Day 2025 extensions, have been less favorable. "Makes no difference to me if Carrie Underwood performs at DT's inauguration or not, but these hair extensions are ridiculous," another X user wrote in January 2025. "Such a joke that she believes they add beauty to her appearance."