Ryan Seacrest reacts to Carrie Underwood returning to ‘American Idol’ as judge: ‘Welcome home’

Carrie Underwood is returning to her “American Idol” roots.

The country music superstar and former “Idol” Season Four winner is the new judge for the franchise’s 23rd season, ABC announced Aug. 1. The news was shared in a special video that revisits when Underwood auditioned for “American Idol” 20 years ago.

The singer will replace Katy Perry and join Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan on the judging panel for the new season, which will air in spring 2025 on ABC and Hulu.

It’s a full-circle moment for the multi-Grammy winning singer, who auditioned for the show in 2004 and won the judges over when she sang Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me.” Underwood went on to win America over as well, beating runner-up Bo Bice in the 2005 finale.

Ryan Seacrest, who’s been hosting “American Idol” for over two decades, congratulated Underwood on the news in an Instagram post on Aug. 1.

“It’s a full-circle moment to go from announcing you as the winner of @americanidol 20 years ago to now welcoming you to the judge’s table,” Seacrest penned in his caption alongside two photos of him and Underwood standing on stage. “Welcome home, @carrieunderwood !”

The video collage, shared on the “American Idol” official YouTube page Aug. 1, shows Underwood “going to Hollywood” and performing on stage during Season Four. The clip also spotlights the now-41-year-old singer reflecting on the life-changing experience.

“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” she says in the video. “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show and I’m so proud of everything that I’ve accomplished since.”

The announcement concludes with the message: “Welcome American Idol’s newest judge.”

Underwood is the first “American Idol” alum ever to join the panel of judges. However, this isn’t the “Cowboy Casanova” singer’s first time back on the show: She’s previously been a guest mentor and performed during the 2019 finale.

The singer is known for celebrating her “American Idol” anniversaries on her social media. In May, she shared a photo of herself when she got her golden ticket to Hollywood.

“REFLECTION of the week: contestant number #14887 received her golden ticket to Hollywood!” she captioned her Instagram post. “I can’t believe it has been almost 20 years since auditioning for @AmericanIdol!”

Auditions for the upcoming season of “American Idol” are happening in Alabama on Monday, Aug. 12, and then will travel around the United States as part of “Idol Across America,” the live virtual nationwide search for the next superstar.

Perry, who had been a judge since the show relaunched on ABC in 2018 after 15 seasons on Fox, announced in February that she would be departing “American Idol” after Season 22.

Artists like Meghan Trainor, former “Idol” winner Fantasia Barrino and “Idol” alum Jordin Sparks had been contenders for Perry’s replacement before Underwood was officially announced.

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