Carrie Underwood's Trump ties are to blame for plummeting 'American Idol' ratings, insiders claim

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: ‘American Idol’ may be losing its charm with the audience, as revealed by its constantly dipping viewership numbers.

While some insiders believe the format is to be blamed, others opined that the blame partly lies with Season 4 winner and current judge Carrie Underwood because of her performance at President Donald Trump's inauguration. 

As reported by Express US, after the March 16 episode had just over 4.5 million viewers, within a fortnight, the numbers dipped below 4 million for the "Hollywood Week" on March 31. Now, the insiders are saying that the 42-year-old songstress’s association with Trump cannot be overlooked for the show’s waning viewership.

Carrie Underwood is blamed for the low viewership of 'American Idol'

While the March 16 episode clocked in a little over 4.5 million viewers, it was still 800,000 short of the number of viewers turning the television on to watch the competitor show, NBC's ‘The Voice’.

Following the show’s 10% dip in viewership, several insiders have been left wondering whether ‘The Champion’ singer, who won the competition in the ABC show’s fourth season, is responsible for it. 

One such insider said, as reported by RadarOnline, "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, Underwood’s involvement in the show’s downfall is thought to be greater than that, as another section believes that the singer’s performance of ‘America the Beautiful’ at Trump’s second inauguration was the final nail.

Referencing her performance, one source shared, "Some fans didn’t love that she sang for President Trump. It’s alienated part of the audience."

Nevertheless, not everyone is willing to put all the blame on the ‘Cry Pretty’ songstress, as one of the show’s former producers claimed that the failure of the show to reinvent itself has also led to its downfall.

"The format feels tired now. The show hasn’t reinvented itself in years. Even diehard fans are drifting away," they shared.

'American Idol', hosted by Ryan Seacrest, boasts a stellar judging cast with Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan at the helm.

Carrie Underwood was unbothered by the backlash from her performance at Donald Trump's inauguration

Soon after it was announced that Carrie Underwood was to perform at the inauguration, netizens flocked to social media to express their displeasure over her decision.

However, a source shared that the 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' songstress was left unfazed by it. 

"This is going to be a big year for Carrie who is embarking on being a judge for 'American Idol' and now performing at the inauguration," a source shared, as per the Daily Mail.

They continued, "This is something that she is very proud of, and the spin she is putting on it is that she is doing it for America, not specifically for Trump. She understands the backlash, but she also doesn’t care."

The insider explained that Underwood saw the opportunity to perform at the inauguration as "a way to give back to the country she loves."