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Can you believe it? It was twenty years ago when Carrie Underwood first auditioned for American Idol in front of original judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. While you won’t find the ABC singing competition show among 2024 TV premiere dates, Underwood is set to step in as a judge for Season 23 following Katy Perry’s exit. Finally, Simon Cowell has commented on the latest judge pick.

Back in 2004, Simon Cowell lit up a young Carrie Underwood’s dreams by saying she was “good” during her nervous audition before the singer went on to become the Season 4 winner. Here’s what Cowell recently said about Underwood being a new judge on American Idol:

I think it’s a good choice. Carrie, we go back a long way. I remember her audition like it was yesterday. She was so good, she’s such a sweet person.

While speaking to E! News, following this week’s America’s Got Talent live show, Simon Cowell had some nice words to say about the American Idol alum as she gets ready to become a judge. He continued with these words when asked about what advice he’d give her:

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You just gotta say how you feel. It’s not that difficult doing this job, I promise you. We all feel the same things and we don’t agree, thank God. Otherwise, life would be boring. And just enjoy it.

Simon Cowell of course has a reputation for not mincing his words around hopefuls, and not being afraid to be a meanie on national television. However, when Carrie Underwood recently spoke about taking up the job, she said the following:

I think I can be honest and constructive but still kind, and I think that’s the whole point. ’Cause people are coming in and, you know, it’s dreams. You’re a part of somebody’s story from that moment on. So, I think it’s important to be honest, but it’s also very important to be kind, so hopefully I can marry all of those together and be a good judge.

It doesn’t sound like Carrie Underwood is necessarily going to take a page out of Simon Cowell’s book based on those comments, but she does want to offer some “honest” and “constructive” advice to those who are hoping to be in her position in the music industry. She’ll be working alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as judges. Richie has already said the new judge “makes a lot of sense,” especially considering her personal history with the show.

Carrie Underwood’s new spot in American Idol will mark the first major change for the competition series since 2018 when ABC rebooted it following FOX cancelling it in 2016. Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan had been the judges of the new American Idol for seven seasons. Perry decided to step away from the series following Season 22’s finale this past spring to focus on her pop career again.

While her fellow judges and fans are sad to see Katy Perry go, Carrie Underwood joining the cast could be a great opportunity for a former contestant to share their perspective. Plus, apparently ABC has been trying to make Underwood’s involvement happen for some time. Currently, the audition window is open for hopefuls. We can’t wait to see what Underwood brings to the series.