Carrie Underwood faced audible disapproval from the live audience during a recent episode of “American Idol,” responding to the jeers with a defiant attitude both on stage and on social media. “Boo me. I don’t care @American Idol,” Underwood posted on X, a message that has garnered approximately 1 million views as of Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
The 42-year-old singer, who won the fourth season of the competition in 2005 and joined the judging panel in 2025, was booed after offering critiques on contestants’ song selections and performances during the “Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover” episode. The backlash has sparked debate online, with some observers linking the audience’s reaction to Underwood’s performance at President Donald Trump’s inauguration last year.
During the episode, Underwood anticipated the negative reaction while evaluating contestant Mor’s performance of an original song. “You guys are gonna boo me. You’re gonna boo me. It’s coming. Bring it on. I love it! Your boos are feeding me,” she stated to the audience, according to reports. She then explained her reasoning for criticizing Mor’s choice to perform original material at that stage of the competition.
The booing wasn’t limited to Mor’s performance. Underwood was also met with jeers after questioning other contestants’ song choices and offering feedback on their vocal performances. When fellow judge Luke Bryan wasn’t subjected to the same audience reaction after commenting on a contestant’s shaky start, Underwood directly asked, “Why don’t they boo you?”
This isn’t the first instance of Underwood receiving a negative response from the audience this season. On February 18, she posted on X, “Spoiler alert…I gain booed A LOT from our Hollywood Week audience.”
Social media users have reacted strongly to the situation. Some, like the account @wandasattorney, responded to Underwood’s recent post with pointed criticism, writing, “And it’s still not loud enough.” Others expressed more aggressive sentiments, with one user suggesting the audience should have thrown tomatoes. Although, Underwood also has supporters, with some users praising her honesty and directness.
The controversy surrounding Underwood’s performance at President Trump’s inauguration continues to resurface. In a statement to Newsweek at the time, Underwood said, “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event.”
The top 30 contestants have now been selected, and the competition will continue in Hawaii during the next episode, scheduled to air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.
