Carrie Underwood is back on American Idol this season, and if history tells us anything, it’s that she’s going to bring the emotion — even if she doesn’t admit it.
During Season 23, the “Southbound” singer swore up and down that she’s not a crier.
Seated at the judges’ table next to Luke Bryan, Underwood insisted that she rarely gets emotional, even as Bryan looked on in disbelief.
“It’s okay to cry, for the record. I’m not a crier,” she said in a video shared by Idol‘s official Instagram page.
The camera quickly cut to Bryan’s face — and he clearly wasn’t buying it. He knew what was coming next, and so did the producers.
Then came more clips from past episodes — the mother of two is wiping tears, holding back sobs, and getting visibly choked up during contestant performances.
Toward the end of the montage, after one particularly emotional audition, Bryan tried to ask for her opinion — but she couldn’t even get the words out.
“Should I go to Lionel?” Bryan joked, as Underwood nodded, crying too much to respond.
Producers handed her tissues as she laughed through the tears.”You okay over there?” Luke asked, reaching out to comfort her. “No, I’m not,” she admitted.
As Bryan leaned back in his chair, he offered the final word. “Cryin’s okay.” Carrie agreed with a laugh: “It’s okay to cry.”
‘American Idol’ Season 24
Carrie Underwood returns to the judges’ table alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, with Ryan Seacrest back as host.
Season 24 of American Idol premieres Monday (Jan. 26) at 8 PM ET on ABC. New episodes will air live each Monday night and will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
