Carrie Underwood explains that she chooses to give “constructive criticism” while working on American Idol, saying she prefers honesty and admits she isn’t good at hiding her true opinions.
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Earlier in the season, Carrie Underwood faced audience backlash after receiving boos for her comments during her time on American Idol, following her candid and critical feedback to contestants.
Carrie Underwood has addressed the backlash she received for her honest feedback on American Idol, saying she has no issue with being booed for speaking candidly.
On a recent episode of the American Idol podcast released Wednesday, April 8, host Danielle Fishel spoke with all three judges about Underwood’s direct approach to critiques. Fishel brought up moments when Underwood offered constructive criticism to contestants and was met with negative reactions from the audience.
Underwood responded bluntly, saying she simply doesn’t mind the boos. Fellow judge Luke Bryan also weighed in, noting that giving honest feedback as a judge can be difficult and requires confidence, since comments can impact contestants’ journeys in the competition.
Underwood went on to explain that she values honesty over sugarcoating. She said she struggles to be anything other than truthful and would rather point out issues contestants can learn from than pretend every performance was flawless. As a longtime fan of the show, she added that she often notices when feedback from others doesn’t match what she hears, and she prefers contestants to have a realistic understanding of their performances.
She emphasized that her critiques don’t take away from the contestants’ talent, noting that they wouldn’t be on the show if they weren’t already skilled. However, she believes growth comes from recognizing both strengths and areas that need improvement.
Her comments follow a recent episode in which she received boos from the audience after critiquing contestant Mor’s decision to perform an original song without a backing band. Underwood called it a “missed opportunity,” explaining that the live setting and available band could have elevated the performance, even while praising the contestant’s voice and artistic effort.