After months of speculation, American Idol announced that Carrie Underwood will return as a judge for Season 24. While a lot of fans were happy, the news also sparked a shocking rebellion from viewers.
Update On Murdered American Idol Crew Member
We reported in July the news that an American Idol crew member and her husband had been murdered in their home. Robin Kaye was a music supervisor on the reality show for many, many seasons. She was found dead in July after a welfare check. Her husband, Thomas Deluca, was also found deceased.
News reports at the time indicated that the couple had been shot. The cause of death was recently confirmed, and new details of their final moments were revealed. PEOPLE magazine reported that the couple had arrived home from the grocery store and surprised a robber ransacking their home.
The couple was shot in the head. The alleged perpetrator used a gun that belonged to the couple. 22-year-old Raymond Boodarian was arrested days after the murders.
The suspect was unresponsive during a recent court hearing and sent for a mental health evaluation after his lawyer claimed he was suicidal. The case is on hold until after the evaluation.
Season 24 Judges Revealed
The American Idol producers knew they had to find someone big to replace Katy Perry. A lot of names were thrown around, including Jon Bon Jovi. But ultimately, the network chose someone who has a long history with the show. Carrie Underwood won Season 4 and had appeared as a mentor on past seasons.
She joined Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the judges’ panel for Season 23. Rumors have swirled for months about whether she would return or not. ABC finally confirmed that all three judges would be back for Season 24. There’s no word yet on whether Ryan Seacrest is back as host.
Shocking Reaction To Carrie Underwood Return
Many American Idol fans celebrated the news of Carrie Underwood’s return. But not everyone thinks she has what it takes. Not everyone can be as harsh as Simon Cowell was for years. But some fans believe Carrie Underwood is too nice as a judge sometimes.
@americanidol Your favorite judges are back and class is in session! 🍎📚 Idol Across America auditions start this week! Sign up!
One fan wrote, “Felt like she was reluctant to give criticism and when she did, it was stilted and she didn’t apply it to everyone, including people she clearly liked.”
Other fans agreed and shared a surprising reaction to the news:
- “I’ll be bypassing the entire season. Too much sucking up and religion. Carrie gives me “fake nice” vibes.”
- “I was super excited but definitely disappointed! Shes an INCREDIBLE singer.. second only to kelly.. but not entertaining as a judge!”
- “I have watched American Idol faithfully, starting in season one. This is the only season that I didn’t watch to the final. I don’t think it was a good fit for Carrie.”
- “I don’t like her as a judge!!”
- “Blah. I feel like she didn’t want to be there most of the time and was just collecting a paycheck.”
Carrie Underwood was accused of being unhappy when Jamal Roberts was named the winner of Season 23. Do you think Carrie Underwood shows favoritism? Sound off in the comments.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger