Carrie Underwood returns to 'American Idol' as judge with $12M paycheck — far less than Katy Perry's deal
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood is set to return to 'American Idol' as a judge and replace pop star Katy Perry on the panel for the 23rd season of the show, the Daily Mail reported on Thursday, December 19.
However, she would be raking in considerably less than the person she is replacing after seven seasons, shared the publication.
View this post on Instagram
The difference in paychecks of Carrie Underwood and Katy Perry
Debuting as a judge alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood will reportedly receive a paycheck of $12 million. While the amount is considerable on its own, it turns modest when compared to what Katy Perry earned before leaving the show in 2023.
According to the Daily Mail, Perry received $25 million per season, higher than her co-judges Richie and Bryan, who made $10 million and $12 million, respectively.
An insider source revealed to Life & Style back in August that the pay gap between Perry and Underwood was due to time and priorities.
"ABC was asking for a lot of (Perry's) time away from making music and performing, more time than she had ever given something other than her own pop career," shared the source, "(Underwood's) been part of the Idol family since its early days, and she has a vested interest in the franchise continuing."
They also praised Underwood's humility, stating, "Another one of Carrie’s strengths is her humility, and Carrie did not need to be offered a Katy-sized salary to come back into the franchise."
Internet is delighted to have Carrie Underwood as a judge
A teaser shared by 'American Idol' announcing Carrie Underwood's return to the show as a judge has been adored by netizens on the social media platform Instagram. The following examples demonstrate their takes.
"Why did this make me so emotional?" asked a user.
"I'm not crying you’re crying," shared another.
"I could cry. I am crying," echoed someone else.
"That’s our girl!" exclaimed one user.
"Welcome home Carrie," expressed another.
"Gosh, she’s stunning. Just gets better with age and is a true American Idol beyond the stage. Thrilled to see her back!!!" exclaimed yet another.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
