“American Idol” executives have reportedly been in “crisis talks” about Carrie Underwood’s debut as a judge following her performance at President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
ABC bosses have reportedly said, following the 41-year-old country singer’s performance, there have been calls for people to boycott the upcoming season in which she is supposed to be a judge, Daily Mail reported. On Monday, Underwood performed a stunning a cappella version of “America the Beautiful” inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda before Trump was sworn-in as the 47th President of the United States.
An insider told the outlet that there are concerns contestants might be “uncomfortable” being part of the show and fear her doing so could affect ratings.
“Idol contestants come from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, and so do the people who work on the show,” a source said. “There are concerns that her apparent political stance might make some contestants feel uncomfortable.”
“There’s also worry that backlash could impact viewership,” the source added. “Her apparent support for Trump doesn’t align with the show’s values of inclusivity and diversity.”
“[One judge] Lionel Richie, who is very liberal, may not see eye to eye with Carrie’s views which could create some tension,” the source continued. “He has never and will never support Trump. The general opinion is that Carrie should have thought about the show’s culture and network values before jumping into such a major role while under contract.”
