Carrie Underwood Not 1st Pick For ‘American Idol’ Judge, Who Was?
Carrie Underwood made headlines going from a winning contestant on American Idol to one of the show’s judges. However, she wasn’t necessarily the competition show’s first choice on the panel. In fact, a source recently shared what could have cost the original choice their spot on the show.
A Source Revealed Another Star Was The First Choice To Fill In For Katy Perry On American Idol
Back in 2005, Underwood originally appeared on American Idol‘s fourth season, going on to have a prominent career in music. The star would later return to the show during Season 23 as a judge, taking over Katy Perry’s seat.
At the time, American Idol highlighted Underwood’s journey with the web series, “Idol to Icon,” in which she looked back on her time as a contestant. Underwood joining the show also seemed timely, as it was around 20 years since her competition days.
However, an inside source recently shared that Underwood wasn’t necessarily the first choice to take over Perry’s seat on the show. Speaking with The U.S. Sun, a source revealed, “Miley Cyrus was the top pick to replace Katy Perry.”
Cyrus has some background as a television personality. She had previously served as a coach on two seasons of The Voice, from 2016 to 2017.
The source continued, “Everyone was on board with her and she got an official offer. But the deal fell through when Miley was asking for even more money than Katy which they found ridiculous.” The source continued, “She surprised the producers with how much she genuinely cared about helping the contestants.”
However, one issue got in the way of the idea. The source shared, “She relates to people in a way no one else did and the show wanted her bad but couldn’t justify the price tag.It wasn’t possible. And she was firm and wouldn’t come down from the number.”
According to the publication, the Hannah Montana star is rumored to have wanted upwards of $30 million for her first season on the show. This was more than Perry’s own $25 million salary.
Another American Idol Alum Previously Name-Dropped Miley Cyrus As A Possible Judge
A source had previously shared that American Idol was ambivalent about Underwood becoming a judge. According to the insider, “They spoke with a handful of other A-list artists in pop and country before landing on Carrie. It was not a unanimous decision.”
Back in 2024, Luke Bryan also name-dropped Cyrus as a possible judge while speaking with Billboard. He shared, “I’ve said several names. I think P!nk has been in the talks, Miley Cyrus has been in the talks, Meghan Trainor has been in the talks.”
However, Bryan shared, “But they’re being tight-lipped about it. I think Disney is just trying to figure out what they want to do. “And we’re just kind of sitting back and waiting until they decide.”
View this post on Instagram
Did you watch Carrie Underwood as a judge on Season 23 on American Idol? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest reality TV and celebrity news.
- Influencer Chef ‘FoodWithBearHands’ Michael Duarte Tragically Killed - November 11, 2025
- Mother Of 3 Killed In Horrifying Tree Accident In Philadelphia - November 11, 2025
- ‘The View’ Fans Are Thrilled The Scheduled Guest Did Not Show - November 10, 2025