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Tensions are reportedly brewing in the "American Idol" universe following the show's new judge Carrie Underwood's performance at President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Underwood performed an a cappella rendition of "America the Beautiful" after an initial technical hitch and was hailed afterward.
However, her decision to perform for Trump has seemingly sparked controversy for "American Idol" due to its quest for LGBTQ representation.
Although Underwood felt honored to perform at a presidential inauguration, her decision to do so for Donald Trump was polarizing.
Before agreeing to the inauguration gig, Underwood was announced as a judge for "American Idol" Season 23, set to premiere on March 9. The show is known for its inclusivity and diversity and has strengthened its efforts to improve LGBTQ representation.
However, some saw Underwood's decision to perform for Trump as an apparent political stance, and the show's producers know how much impact that could have.
For instance, there have been calls for Underwood to boycott her debut as a judge on the show she won in its fourth season.
Insiders have now claimed that contestants may feel "uncomfortable" with Underwood as a judge, which can potentially reduce the show's ratings.
A source told Daily Mail, "Idol contestants come from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, and so do the people who work on the show."
They added, "There are concerns that her apparent political stance might make some contestants feel uncomfortable."
The insider explained that there are worries that a backlash against Underwood "could impact viewership," adding, "Her apparent support for Trump doesn't align with the show's values of inclusivity and diversity."
According to the source, there could be tensions between Lionel Richie and Underwood.
They said, "Lionel Richie, who is very liberal, may not see eye to eye with Carrie's views which could create some tension. He has never and will never support Trump."
The insider explained that the changes made to "American Idols" since Season 16 in 2018 meant that the show's judges "are typically advised to avoid becoming political figures."
However, this hasn't stopped them from expressing their views as Luke Bryan did in 2022 when he invited Republican politician Ron DeSantis onto the stage at a Florida gig.
After facing backlash for his actions, Bryan defended himself by explaining that he was raising awareness to help victims of a natural disaster.
When asked if Underwood was considering her role on "American idol" and how her inauguration performance could impact the show, the source described the general opinion on the country singer.
They said, "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."
The insider's revelations are similar to that of another source, who told The U.S. Sun that "American Idol" producers were allegedly on edge that Underwood's performance would cause backlash and reduce ratings after the inauguration.
The source shared, "I don't think anyone at the show knew about Carrie singing at the inauguration ahead of it coming out, it caught them all off guard."
They added, "It doesn't conflict with any of her Idol taping dates and it is before this season airs, so it doesn't go against anything in her contract. But there are producers that don't approve and are worried."
The insider further revealed that "American Idol" producers feared that fans could boycott the show.
They said, "A lot of viewers are already speaking of a boycott, whether or not that's true or just noise will be seen after the ratings come in but the conversation it now brings Idol into is not what producers want. They don't want the show to get political, they want it to be an escape from that."
Carrie Underwood's Inauguration Day gig couldn't have started on a worse note as she had to wait a long time to get started due to a technical issue preventing background music from playing.
Seeing that the music would not come on, Underwood probed the audience to sing along with her. She said, "If you know the words, help me out here."
With the crowd behind her, the "Jesus, Take the Wheel" crooner performed a cappella, showing just how incredibly talented she is.
After her performance, fans trooped to X to hail her. Many of them described her glowingly, using words like "Amazing," "Class Act," and "One of the greats."
