Keith Urban Disagrees With Luke Bryan’s ‘Idol’ Advice for Carrie Underwood

Days after ABC confirmed that country superstar Carrie Underwood would be the new judge on “American Idol,” fellow country star Luke Bryan, who will return to the show with Lionel Richie for their eighth season as judges, made headlines for his advice to the country star.

On August 5, 2024, Bryan told Audacy’s 100.7 The Wolf, “If she has a therapist, she’s probably going to have to double (up) to deal with me and Lionel. Do therapists do gift cards? I can call her therapist and gift her a voucher.”

But fellow country star Keith Urban disagrees. Urban, who was a judge on “Idol” from seasons 12 through 15, doesn’t think Underwood will have any issues that call for extra therapy.

“She can handle Luke, trust me,” Urban told ET Online at the ACM Honors on August 21, adding that his only piece of advice for Underwood, his duet partner on the 2017 country hit “The Fighter,” is to “just be herself, that’s all she’s gotta do.”

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Keith Urban Thinks Carrie Underwood is a ‘Perfect Fit’ for ‘American Idol’

Underwood, who won the fourth season of “American Idol” in 2005, will replace pop star Katy Perry for the show’s 23rd season, premiering in early 2025.

When ET correspondent Cassie DiLaura mentioned Underwood’s hiring on “Idol” to Urban at the ACM Honors, he excitedly exclaimed, “Heck, yeah!”

“She’s perfect for it,” he continued. “She knows exactly what everybody on the other side of the desk is going through — Lionel doesn’t, Luke doesn’t. She’s gonna bring something really extraordinary to that seat.”

In a 2017 Grammys red carpet interview with “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest, the two joked about how hard it is working with Underwood.

“Oh, it’s terrible,” Urban said, and Seacrest replied, “She’s a real nightmare, isn’t she?”

“She can’t sing, not photogenic, really difficult,” Urban laughed, before saying, “She’s amazing. I forget that she was an ‘Idol’ alumni, you know? I mean, she’s astounding.”

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Carrie Underwood Cheered on Keith Urban When He First Became an ‘Idol’ Judge

Back in 2013, Underwood gave two thumbs up to “Idol” adding Urban as a new judge when the show still aired on FOX. He, Nicki Minaj, and Mariah Carey joined Randy Jackson that year at the judges’ table. Though the others left after season 12, Urban stayed on for three more seasons, joined by Harry Connick Jr. and returning judge Jennifer Lopez. 

Before Urban first took his seat behind the judges’ table, Underwood told WZTV — according to Tate of Country — that she thought he was perfect for the job.

“If anyone can be objective, constructive and tell people what it’s gonna take, it’s gonna be him,” Underwood said at the time. “I am excited, ‘American Idol’ is my world. It’s my family and it’s so nice to have someone from Nashville be a part of my ‘American Idol’ family.”

In April 2016, Underwood joined Urban onstage at what was thought to be the show’s final season after FOX cancelled the series. ABC rebooted “Idol” in 2018 with Bryan, Richie and Perry as judges.

When Urban returned in 2023 as a mentor and performer, he told People that being back on the show felt “incredible,” adding, “That was home for me for several seasons, and the mentoring part is probably one of the things I always enjoyed the most, getting to work with the artist one-on-one.”

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