Carrie Underwood is back on American Idol this season, and if history tells us anything, it’s that she’s going to bring the emotion — even if she doesn’t admit it.
During Season 23, the “Southbound” singer swore up and down that she’s not a crier.
Seated at the judges’ table next to Luke Bryan, Underwood insisted that she rarely gets emotional, even as Bryan looked on in disbelief.
“It’s okay to cry, for the record. I’m not a crier,” she said in a video shared by Idol‘s official Instagram page.
The camera quickly cut to Bryan’s face — and he clearly wasn’t buying it. He knew what was coming next, and so did the producers.
Read More: Luke Bryan Knows Carrie Underwood’s Way Better at This Than He Is [Exclusive]
The first clip showed a single tear rolling down her cheek during an emotional audition.
Then came more clips from past episodes — the mother of two is wiping tears, holding back sobs, and getting visibly choked up during contestant performances.
Carrie Underwood
Toward the end of the montage, after one particularly emotional audition, Bryan tried to ask for her opinion — but she couldn’t even get the words out.
“Should I go to Lionel?” Bryan joked, as Underwood nodded, crying too much to respond.
Carrie Underwood
Producers handed her tissues as she laughed through the tears.”You okay over there?” Luke asked, reaching out to comfort her. “No, I’m not,” she admitted.
Read More: Luke Bryan Jokes About Carrie Underwood’s Professionalism on ‘American Idol’
As Bryan leaned back in his chair, he offered the final word. “Cryin’s okay.” Carrie agreed with a laugh: “It’s okay to cry.”
‘American Idol’ Season 24
Carrie Underwood returns to the judges’ table alongside Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, with Ryan Seacrest back as host.
Season 24 of American Idol premieres Monday (Jan. 26) at 8 PM ET on ABC. New episodes will air live each Monday night and will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
20 Things Carrie Underwood Has Done Since Winning ‘American Idol’
Carrie Underwood has been, well, busy since winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. Since the confetti fell, the country singer has released nine albums and embarked on seven tours. She’s also tried her hand at acting and launched a handful of businesses.
Over the years she’s become one of the biggest success stories to come out of the show, winning countless awards and amassing a staggering net worth of over $100 million.
Keep scrolling to see 20 things Underwood has done since her time on the reality singing competition.
PICTURES: See Inside Carrie Underwood’s Breathtaking Nashville Mansion
Carrie Underwood and her husband, Mike Fisher, owned a 4-bedroom, 4-bathroom, 2-half-bathroom home in an affluent Nashville suburb called Brentwood. The 7,000-square-foot mansion features a wet bar, fitness center and tennis court, as well as a four-car garage, walk-out basement with heated marble floors and extra appliances, including a sub-zero fridge and wine fridge. That house is where Underwood suffered a devastating fall in 2017.
The couple sold the luxurious home for $1,410,000 in March of 2019, after they moved into the massive dream home that they had spent several years building from scratch.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
