Underwood married hockey player Mike Fisher in 2010, welcoming sons Isaiah and Jacob in February 2015 and January 2019, respectively. The couple have been candid about facing ups and downs in their relationship through the years, but a source exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2023 that the duo were “stronger than ever.”

“Carrie doesn’t know what she’d do without the support from her husband. She feels so blessed to have him by her side,” the insider added at the time.

News broke in August 2024 that Underwood would be returning to Idol — the same show that gave the country singer her big break with her 2005 win — to replace outgoing judge Katy Perry. “This is a full-circle moment both for the show and audiences at home who have been tuning in for over two decades. Welcome home, Carrie,” Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, noted in a statement at the time.

During Sunday’s special, Underwood acknowledged that the singing competition “changed my life,” adding, “Now, I have the privilege of helping a new generation of artists change theirs.”

American Idol season 23 officially premieres on ABC Sunday, March 9, at 8 p.m. ET.