Carrie Underwood expected to replace Katy Perry as ‘American Idol’ judge

nypost.com:

according to Deadline.Underwood will join judges Lionel Richie, 75, and Luke Bryan, 48, while replacing Katy Perry, 39, who announced earlier this year that she would be leaving the show.

Perry served as a judge for all seven seasons that aired on ABC. The Disney-owned network rebooted “Idol” in 2018. It was previously broadcast on Fox from 2002 to 2016.Underwood won season four of the series in 2005 before selling 85 million records and taking home 8 Grammys, making her one of the most famous and successful “American Idol” alumni.She also has considerable experience as a host, having returned to “Idol” several times over the years as a mentor and hosting the CMA Awards on ABC between 2008 and 2019.

ABC has been on the hunt for Perry’s replacement over the past few months. Other famous names the network was reportedly considering included Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Pink, and Meghan Trainor.In an interview with Billboard released on July 1, Bryan elaborated on the search for a new judge. “It’s been interesting.

It’s been something Disney [has] been really tightlipped about with me and Lionel [Richie] and Ryan [Seacrest],” he said. “We currently haven’t heard what the story is on who’s coming back, and if Lionel and I are coming back.