'American Idol' Ratings Shocker: How Show's Viewership Has Plunged to Record Low — And Why Carrie Underwood Could be to Blame
Carrie Underwood being brought in as a new judge hasn't helped 'American Idol' in the ratings department.
March 31 2025, Published 1:30 p.m. ET
American Idol has watched their ratings take a massive hit in just a week and some are wondering if new judge Carrie Underwood is to blame for the disaster.
The once popular singing competition saw a 10% dip with just a tad over four million viewers tuning into the March 23rd episode, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
New 'American Idol' judge Underwood may be the reason behind the show's ratings' fail.
The ABC series' downfall is now said to have TV insiders wondering if Underwood – who was the Season 4 winner – is the reason the show is crashing and burning.
One source said: "Carrie’s involvement was meant to spark excitement, but it may be backfiring. There’s a growing feeling she’s overexposed — or maybe just not connecting with younger viewers.”
However, according to Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, others are putting the blame on the singer's appearance at Donald Trump's inauguration in January, where Underwood attempted to sing America the Beautiful in a performance filled with audio mishaps.
Underwood replaced Katy Perry for Season 23, but it's not going well at all.
"Some fans didn’t love that she sang for President Trump. It’s alienated part of the audience," one source claimed.
Meanwhile, one former Idol producer claimed the show is simply not clicking with audiences the way it once did when it was a ratings juggernaut.
They said: “The format feels tired. The show hasn’t reinvented itself in years. Even diehard fans are drifting away.”
The program's failure is said to have bosses behind-the-scenes scrambling to find a quick solution.
"Everyone’s nervous," a source said. "Idol is a legacy brand – and watching it tumble like this is unsettling. If the bleeding doesn’t stop, major changes are coming.”
Underwood replaced Katy Perry as a judge before Season 23 made its debut.
The singer's appearance Donald Trump's inauguration in January is also claimed to have divided the 'Idol' audience.
The 42-year-old – who is reportedly making $10million a season on Idol – is also said to be causing a scene when not on the small screen, demanding all of the perks she believes she deserves.
"She's making it very clear that she wants the VIP treatment," another insider previously told RadarOnline.com.
The source added: "Word is, she wants plenty of staff, limo service, all her favorite foods, even the temperature to be a certain way."
While Underwood is not making as much for idol as her fellow judges Luke Bryan, 48, and Lionel Richie, 75, "she's going in tough and putting herself in the position of power," according to the insider.
They added: "She doesn't want to be treated like a second fiddle, but people fear she's overdoing it with how she's asking for it."
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The 'Before He Cheats' hitmaker won the competition 20 years ago.
It doesn't, however, help that the Before He Cheats hitmaker is said to stressing over giving Idol contestants the correct advice, especially since she's a "perfectionist."
A source revealed: "Carrie is a huge perfectionist. The standards she has for herself are extremely high, and she tends to pick apart everything she does.
"She finds her weak points and improves, but it also causes her a whole lot of stress. Now, she's carrying the added weight of holding these contestants' futures in her hands and knowing exactly what that feels like."
They added: "That takes a big emotional toll as well because she can genuinely feel their tension over the situation and their painful disappointment – it literally brings her to tears at times."
