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Revisiting her journey on American Idol, season 4 champion and present-day judge Carrie Underwood reflects on what she might do differently if she could travel back in time to her 2005 experience. Emerging victorious in season 4, Carrie has since ascended to the heights of country music stardom, becoming a global icon. By the time she joined the judging panel on American Idol season 23 in 2025, her accolades included selling 85 million records globally, scoring 28 chart-topping singles, and amassing an impressive collection of awards, including 8 Grammys, 17 American Music Awards, 10 People’s Choice Awards, and 7 CMA Awards.
During her stint on American Idol in season 4, Carrie consistently stayed out of the bottom rankings, marking her as a clear favorite to win from the get-go. A standout moment came when she delivered a powerful rendition of Heart’s “Alone,” prompting the famously candid judge Simon Cowell to prophesy her victory and predict she would surpass all previous winners in record sales.
As one of the most triumphant alumni of American Idol, Carrie was an ideal choice to fill Katy Perry’s spot on the judging panel. She joins Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who have been judging since ABC revived the show in 2018, two years after FOX ended its original run in 2016.
Carrie is one of American Idol’s biggest success stories, so she was the perfect person to take Katy Perry’s seat at the judges’ table alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, who’ve served on the panel since ABC revived the show in 2018 after its 2016 cancellation by FOX.
Carrie Underwood Reveals Her American Idol Season 4 Regret
In an interview with Billboard, Carrie was asked the one thing taht she would change from her entire time on American Idol. She expressed regret that she didn’t document her season 4 experience more. Carrie explained, “I’m very angry with myself because when I was on the show, I wasn’t taking any pictures. I’m thinking, ‘Why? Why didn’t you do that? Why didn’t you save these things?’.”
A Carrie Fan Acquired One Of Her American Idol Mementos
Carrie went on to say that one of her fans now owns one of her American Idol season 4 mementos. She stated, “We had a girl come in that had a pair of jeans that I wore on the show, and she told me, ‘My grandpa bought these at a charity auction and I wore them on the show,’ and I asked, ‘Can I buy them back from you?’ Why did I let them go? Why didn’t I keep more things and just document things a little better?’.”
Although Carrie has some regrets about not keeping more things from her American Idol season 4 experience and not taking pictures, it’s understandable that she was most likely caught up in the moment and not thinking about how she’d feel about it twenty years later. However, Carrie did keep a journal during the show, which she read from during her 2025 American Idol YouTube companion series, Idol to Icon. The journal contains her priceless memories.
In addition, phone cameras weren’t as common in 2005 as they are today, so Carrie would’ve had to have carried a traditional camera with her at all times to document special moments. Luckily for her, so much of her journey was preserved by American Idol itself, so she can now look back on the show and relive her experience. For her fans, Carrie’s American Idol season 4 win is something that they’ll always remember.
American Idol airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: Billboard
- Release Date
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2002 – 2016-00-00
- Network
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ABC
- Showrunner
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Nigel Lythgoe
- Directors
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Ken Warwick
- Franchise(s)
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American Idol