AceShowbiz - Carrie Underwood is returning to "American Idol". The "If I Didn’t Love You" songstress, who rose to prominence after winning the fourth season of the show, will serve as a judge following Katy Perry's exit.

The news was confirmed by ABC on Thursday, August 1 with a throwback video showcasing the 41-year-old's intro package on the show two decades ago. "I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of million of people watching the show," she said in the clip.

"I'm proud of everything that I was able to accomplish on the show and I'm so proud of everything I've accomplished since," Carrie added. The footage itself saw her accolades over the years, including 85 million records sold worldwide, 28 No. 1 singles, eight Grammy Awards, 17 American Music Awards, 10 People's Choice Awards as well as seven CMA awards.

Carrie has returned to "American Idol" several times since her win, with her most recent appearance as one of the season 16 mentors. "I learned a lot, I learned an insane amount," she said of her experience on the singing-competition show during an interview with the "Must Watch Show" in May 2022. "And so much of that is still applied today, it still holds true to what I do now. It was star boot camp and I was trying to soak in as much as I possibly could and, obviously, it launched my career."

As for Katy, she confirmed her exit while appearing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in February. Noting that season 22 of "American Idol" will be her last, she said, "This fall, in September, I'm going to be doing this huge music festival in Brazil called Rock in Rio... so I think this will probably be my last season for 'Idol'."

The mom of one went on to say, "I mean, I love 'Idol' so much. It's connected me with the heart of America, but I need to feel that pulse of my own beat." When asked about how fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie reacted to her departure, Katy simply said, "Well, they'll find out tonight!"

Katy first joined "American Idol" as the judge in season 16 back in March 2018. At the time, the show was revived on ABC after previously ending its years-long run on FOX.