Carrie Underwood was almost on her way out last year but agreed to do "American Idol" for Season 24 after obtaining three main conditions that made the very demanding position manageable.
The 42-year-old country music star faced a lot of difficulties during her first season as a judge with viewer criticism piling up not only on her judging but also on her looks while she was away from her family.
Filming Adjustments Made for Comfort and Family
Insiders reveal that the show's production underwent major changes to accommodate Underwood. "There's been a lot of switch-ups into how they're making this season," one source told The U.S. Sun.
Hollywood Week was eliminated to reduce the judges' time in Los Angeles, and filming shifted to Nashville, chosen as "her home base and such a good city for music." The move allowed her to stay closer to family while still mentoring contestants.
Production also extended the Hawaii portion of the season, with Disney's Aulani resort in Oahu hosting contestants and judges for a longer period than in previous years. Special accommodations permitted Underwood to bring her entire family to the islands.
"A big part of why they changed up the format was to accommodate the judges' wants more, specifically Carrie," the insider explained.
Navigating Backlash and Public Scrutiny
Sources note that Underwood faced an unusually intense season, compounded by her performance at Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration.
"She had a hard time dealing with all the backlash and viewer reaction from last season after all the Trump stuff," said one insider.
"On top of that, there's people criticizing her appearance every episode – which is something she struggled with. The noise from the fans was so much louder than she was prepared for and that got to her."
Being away from her family added pressure. "She was also struggling with being far from her family," the source said.
"They wanted to make sure she felt more comfortable on set this year. So they filmed more in Nashville, and they allowed her to bring her whole family to Hawaii."
With all three conditions met, filming adjustments, extended Hawaii shoots, and family accommodations, Underwood agreed to continue on the show. "They couldn't afford to lose her," the insider added.
Underwood reunited with fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie who will both return while Ryan Seacrest will be the host once again. Season 24 of "American Idol" was launched on Monday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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