Why ‘American Idol’ Picked Carrie Underwood to Replace Katy Perry

Carrie, take the wheel!

American Idol is getting a new judge, former winner Carrie Underwood, and there’s a pretty simple reason why producers chose her to replace Katy Perry: “She is our queen,” showrunner and executive producer Megan Wolflick declared.

“Well, it is 20 years since she auditioned in St. Louis for American Idol, and to have the first ever Idol alum on the panel has always been something that’s been interesting to me,” Wolflick told Entertainment Tonight in an interview published on Thursday, August 1, after Underwood’s appointment was announced.

“She is our queen, she is our icon of American Idol,” added the showrunner.

Underwood, 41, will join Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie on the judging panel for season 23, 20 years after winning the singing competition in 2005, ABC confirmed Thursday.

Wolflick told ET that the Idol team has been searching for a new judge for some time after Perry, 39, confirmed her departure in February.

A Look Back at Carrie Underwood American Idol Winning Season

“We have been searching, you know, and obviously talking to Carrie for a little bit here. It has been a little over 2 months since the [season 22] finale, but these talks have been going on for a while and we’ve been really excited to make it all happen,” said Wolflick.

One person who’s excited to have Underwood join the show is Idol’s longtime host Ryan Seacrest, who presided over Underwood’s winning season 20 years ago.

“Ryan couldn’t be more excited, since he has been there every step of the way with Carrie,” said the showrunner. “He was like just over the moon about it.”

“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of million of people watching the show,” Underwood said in a video announcing her role Thursday. “I’m proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show and I’m so proud of everything I’ve accomplished since.”

The minute-long clip broke down all of Underwood’s accolades over the years, including 85 million records sold worldwide, 28 No. 1 singles, eight Grammy Awards, 17 American Music Awards, 10 People’s Choice Awards and seven CMA awards.

“Carrie Underwood is the first American Idol alum ever to join the judging panel. Her global superstar status as the most successful Idol winner to date makes her a perfect fit for the show,” Wolflick said in a statement Thursday. “She embodies the true spirit of Idol as she herself is the definition of the Cinderella story. Our future hopefuls will have the chance to receive advice from someone who has walked in their exact footsteps every step of the way.”