March 4, 2026, 1:53 p.m. ET
Carrie Underwood finds herself navigating through a wave of disapproval from “American Idol” fans.
The acclaimed Grammy winner, who also serves as a judge on the singing competition, frequently faced shouts of “boos” from the audience while critiquing contestants during the Hollywood Week segment.
The audience’s negative reactions were so pronounced that they were even highlighted during a segment in the March 2 episode of “American Idol.”
In a voiceover, host Ryan Seacrest commented, “It seems Professor Carrie’s Hollywood Week advice has caused some students to turn against her.”
Underwood herself acknowledged in the clip, “They just enjoy booing me.”
Even Luke Bryan, Underwood’s fellow judge, stepped in to defend her.
Bryan remarked, “She’s a winner, she understands,” before Underwood playfully told the audience, “You’re not involved in these discussions.”
Later, when Bryan offered constructive feedback to a contestant, Underwood queried him, “Why don’t they boo you?” then turned to the spectators and directly asked, “Are you not going to boo him?”
The reason for Carrie Underwood’s booing on ‘American Idol’
Underwood received boos due to her critical assessments of “American Idol” contestants during Hollywood Week.
At one point, to the audience’s clear disapproval, Underwood stated, “I’m just not convinced that was the appropriate song choice.”
Later, after 22-year-old Mor presented an original song in the second round, Underwood addressed the audience before delivering her critique, saying, “You’re all going to boo me. It’s coming, just bring it on. I embrace it. Your boos energize me.”
As the episode aired, Underwood went to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on the audience’s reactions, simply writing, “Boo me. I don’t care.”
The previous month, the artist had also forewarned fans about the upcoming reaction in a message on X.
Underwood stated, “Spoiler alert…I face a lot of boos from our Hollywood Week audience.”
Melina Khan serves as a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be contacted at [email protected].