American Idol season 23 has been a tough season for new judge Carrie Underwood, who doesn’t seem like she’s enjoying herself during her first time on the judge’s panel.

While Carrie, who joined American Idol season 23 as the first-ever winner to return as a judge on the show, has become a megastar in her own right, things on the show that gave her her start haven’t been easy. Carrie’s return to American Idol came on the heels of Katy Perry choosing to leave the series after it was rebooted in 2018, but it hasn’t been as welcoming as expected.

Though Carrie has been a fun addition to the American Idol season 23 judge’s panel, which also features Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie returning for another season on the long-running show, it’s been difficult for her to adjust to the new role. Carrie, who’s spent the last twenty years working on her career and becoming more of a superstar than she could’ve imagined during her time on American Idol season 4, hasn’t been adapting to the role’s requirements easily. Finding it tough to criticize other performers on the spot, Carrie hasn’t been interested in the difficult parts of her job.

While Carrie has, at times, been criticized for being harsh towards contestants, she’s also expressed that it’s been tough for her to deliver the difficult news. As an American Idol judge, Carrie’s vacillated between being the more critical voice and being too kind, sometimes sharing fewer thoughts on performances because of her level of enjoyment. Early on in the season, Carrie was being called out for over-stepping, but seeing her during American Idol season 23’s live shows has made it clear that she’s simply struggling to stay afloat in her new role. American Idol season 23 could be Carrie’s last.

Seeing herself on the other side of the table may not be as easy as she expected when signing on for American Idol season 23.

Carrie Isn’t Enjoying Her Time As A Judge

Although Carrie has been an interesting addition to American Idol season 23, it’s been clear from early on that the show isn’t her cup of tea. Despite knowing that she’s been part of the series in the past and has frequently been able to work with the series to perform or mentor in the past, becoming a judge is a whole new ballgame. Carrie’s early moments on American Idol season 4 may have prepared her for her career in the music industry, but becoming a judge opened her up to a whole new world of criticism she wasn’t prepared for.

Throughout the season, Carrie’s been able to step into the spotlight as an Idol judge a bit more thoroughly, but it’s been clear that she’s not enjoying the feeling of being on the other side of the competition. Throughout her own season, the original trio of American Idol judges weren’t particularly hard on Carrie. While they did give her feedback and notes for improvement, it was clear that Carrie was doing well without much coaching. Seeing herself on the other side of the table may not be as easy as she expected when signing on for American Idol season 23.

Carrie Doesn’t Like Giving Harsh Feedback

Although Carrie has been used to dealing with the ups and downs of the music industry, which is notoriously difficult, it’s clear that giving feedback is likely a lot more difficult than receiving it. For Carrie, giving feedback to the contestants is obviously a major part of being on the judge’s panel. While she’s been happy to be able to provide input on performances throughout the season, it’s been obvious that her strong suit isn’t feedback, as it’s been coming out either too harsh or too kind. Carrie hasn’t been up to helping Lionel and Luke make the tough calls.

While Carrie has been doing her best to work through the season, as a first-time Idol judge, she’s been having a tough time with the tough feedback needed in the competition. Though there have been moments where some have considered Carrie too harsh, the difficulty has been more about giving feedback that’s intentionally harsh. Throughout the majority of the season thus far, Carrie has shied away from giving tough feedback, and has even shared that she isn’t interested in continually doing so. While it’s nice to see she’s kind-hearted, American Idol judges have to be willing to give their input.

Carrie Doesn’t Get Along With Her Fellow Judges

Luke & Lionel Aren’t Meshing Well With Carrie

As American Idol season 23 has continued, it’s become more clear that there’s some tension between Carrie and her fellow judges, Luke and Lionel. While there hasn’t been anything official reported about tension between Carrie, Luke, and Lionel, the trio hasn’t been meshing on screen in the same way that Luke and Lionel were with former judge Katy. Though it could take some time, American Idol viewers have noticed some difficult moments between the trio of judges, which could be a sign of things to come for the series. If Carrie doesn’t get along with her co-stars, she may leave.

While it’s possible that Carrie could find common ground with Luke and Lionel in the future, it also seems likely that their relationship will remain similar to what it currently is. Carrie’s known Luke for years, and with Lionel being an international superstar, there’s no chance she hadn’t met him prior to appearing on American Idol with him. If there are issues between the American Idol judges, it can throw off the entire feel of the competition for viewers and contestants alike. Though many would want the show to continue as is, it’s possible Carrie leaving may fix the issue.

Carrie Doesn’t Enjoy Being Away From Her Family

Although Carrie has traveled throughout her career and spent time away from her husband and kids in the past, she’s been dedicated to her family throughout the last decade. After her husband, Mike Fisher retired from the NHL, Carrie was able to devote more time to traveling with her music, but still primarily stays in the Nashville area in order to keep her kids the priority. As a mother, Carrie has been open about the fact that it’s tough to leave her kids behind or feel like she’s not consistently in the picture, which has been tougher with American Idol.

As the audition process for American Idol moves around frequently, Carrie had to be away from her family for days at a time while the auditions were happening, and now that she’s moved into the live shows, she’s likely spending a lot more time in Los Angeles than Nashville. Though Carrie may be able to handle being away, it’s possible she’s not enjoying the time spent apart from her kids and husband during the season. In the future, Carrie may want to stick closer to home and put things like Idol on the back burner instead of front and center.

Carrie Doesn’t Like The Publicity She’s Gotten From Idol

The Press Has Been More Negative

Although Carrie has been doing her best to remain positive and promote American Idol on her Instagram, it’s clear that the publicity she’s been getting from being on the show isn’t what she expected. When Carrie was originally announced as a replacement judge, the reaction from Idol fans was mixed. Some were excited to see an original American Idol star as part of the series, while others were hopeful that the show would reconsider Carrie as a member of the panel. After seeing her in the first episodes of the season, it became clear Carrie wasn’t an immediate Idol sensation.

Though she’s been able to move forward with her time on the show and find her footing a bit more thoroughly, Carrie’s been difficult to watch at times and the press surrounding her on the series hasn’t been the most positive. While a lot of the criticism and theorizing about Carrie’s place on American Idol is warranted, it’s likely been tough on her to live with so much negativity being part of her appearance on the series. Despite knowing that Carrie’s got a thick skin, she may not find herself interested in opening herself up to so much negativity again.

Carrie Wants To Focus On Her Own Music

She’s Making More Faith-Based Music

Although Carrie has been able to show off her faith-based music on American Idol season 23 already, it’s clear that her own career hasn’t stopped just because she’s been part of the show. Carrie’s journey in music industry has been fascinating to watch, especially with her star on American Idol only having been a small part of that journey. Seeing Carrie becoming more of an artist in her own right has been great, and learning more about her music outside of the popular side of the country genre has been eye-opening. Her faith-based music is powerful, but isn’t for everyone.

Carrie shared some of her faith-based music on the Easter episode of American Idol, and while it was powerful, the series wasn’t necessarily mindful of the fact that there are many viewers who watch the show for music rather than religious content. While faith-based music may not be the primary issue, Carrie wanting to focus on her career and get into more music that can be spiritual or religious could be a conflict with her time as an American Idol judge. For Carrie to focus on her music, it’s possible she may want to leave the show behind soon.