Back in August, it was announced that the season 4 American Idol winner would be replacing Katy Perry and joining both Luke and Lionel Richie as judges alongside returning longtime host Ryan Seacrest. But how do Carrie’s new co-judges feel about her joining the panel? Well, when Luke spoke to Extra about working with Carrie so far, he had nothing but high praise for her.

“It’s going great,” he said in a YouTube clip. “Carrie and I had always been in the business together, but we never spent much time together, so to sit behind the desk and watch her really learn how to transition out of being the winner of American Idol and a superstar to being the judge at the table, she’s doing good.”

But that’s not all Luke had to say about Carrie joining American Idol as a judge. Given how he loves to pull some antics, the “Country Girl” singer couldn’t help but poke a little fun at the newbie.

“The main thing is, as long as she don’t pick up any of my habits,” Luke joked. “I don’t want to influence her in any way.”

Carrie first made headlines when she won season 4 of the hit competition series back in 2005. Her moving voice and unique take on country music have made her an eight-time Grammy-winning global superstar over the last two decades. She also has spent time performing all over the world, with a filmed version of her hit Las Vegas residency Reflection debuting on Hulu in January 2025.

While it’s still a while before American Idol returns on March 9, 2025, we love to hear the judges are already having all sorts of fun.