With just seven finalists remaining, American Idol will soon crown its 23rd winner. Debuting in 2002 with judges Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell, and Randy Jackson at the helm, the singing reality competition show is permanently entwined with the 21st century pop culture fabric. This year saw a full-circle moment when season 4 winner Carrie Underwood returned as a judge, 20 years after the show kick-started her career. More than two decades in, viewers seemingly still can’t get enough of Idol. The show recently took to social media to announce it will return for a 24th season.
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A New Season of ‘American Idol’ Is Coming
Ahead of the May 18 season 23 finale, American Idol announced Friday (May 9) that the show is coming back to ABC in 2026.
“Online auditions are open NOW!” the official Idol Instagram account wrote in the comments.
Sunday (May 11) kicks off the show’s annual Disney Week, with two nights of Disney-themed performances planned. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer-winning creator of Hamilton and Moana, will stop by set to mentor the remaining contestants.
Last week saw Mattie Pruitt and Josh King land in the bottom two after performing songs handpicked for them by judges Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie, and Carrie Underwood. Ultimately, the judges chose to send Pruitt to the Top 7, spelling the end of the road for King.
The season’s youngest competitor, 16-year-old Pruitt will join Slater Nalley, Thunderstorm Artis, Gabby Samone, Breanna Nix, Jamal Roberts, and John Foster in the next round.
[RELATED: Jennifer Hudson Recalls Suffering “Jitters” From ‘American Idol’ Fallout]
Will Carrie Underwood Return?
As soon as American Idol viewers learned the show’s fate, many began voicing another question on everyone’s minds.
“Please make sure Carrie is a judge next season!” one Instagram user commented. “She is super fun!!”
The “Before He Cheats” singer made her judging debut this season, joining fellow country star Luke Bryan and legendary crooner Lionel Richie. She replaced Katy Perry, who had served alongside Bryan and Richie since the show’s ABC revival in 2018.
“We want Carrie Underwood back!’ another Instagram user chimed in.
While the show has yet to announce Underwood’s return—or Bryan’s or Richie’s, for that matter—some reports suggest the 16-time ACM Award winner isn’t entirely enjoying herself. She has already spoken candidly about struggling to criticize the contestants’ performances. On this front, it looks like we’ll just have to wait and see.
Featured image by Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
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