The show clearly made a lasting impact on Underwood’s life.

It’s been about 20 years since Carrie Underwood was crowned the winner of American Idol’s Season 4 competition, but the experience clearly left a lasting mark on her. So much so that she admits the stress and adrenaline of that journey still shows up in her dreams to this day.

Over the weekend, Underwood delivered a stunning performance of “How Great Thou Art” during Idol’s Easter Sunday episode. It was so powerful that fans joked she deserved to win the competition for a second time.

Speaking with Extra’s Terri Seymour after the first live show of the season, Underwood confessed that the show still haunts her dreams more than she’d care to admit.

“I actually have dreams to this often where I’m trying out for American Idol again, even though I won once,” she shared. “In my dream, I’m like, I know that I won. And it’s like, do I want to try out again? Do I think I can win again or what if I lose this time? So no, I don’t want to do that. But it was a great night.”

Returning To The Show As A Judge

Carrie Underwood may not be a contestant anymore, but she’s still a vital part of the American Idol family. This year, she reconnected with her roots deeper than ever before, this time as the first-ever Idol alum to serve as a judge.

“It feels great,” she says of her long-awaited return. “I love that there are so many people that still work on the show after all these years and there’s so many familiar faces. It’s definitely different being behind the desk, but it’s been a lot of fun so far.”
Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan; Photo by Disney/Christopher Willard

The Tough Side To Her New Role

Along with all the fun the “I’m Gonna Love You“ singer has been having alongside her fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, she admits there have certainly been some more difficult moments too. All three of them faced a very tough challenge this week having to cut the Top 20 down to 14, with the final four picks made by the judges and the rest by America.

“It was a huge cut tonight and it was on us to save people, but I mean that’s the problem when you have so much talent and there really is so much talent,” Carrie Underwood said, explaining why this was so difficult. “We had our deliberation and it was like everybody ended up where it was like, ‘okay, I can live with this,’ even though there’s certainly going to be hopefuls that we’re all going to miss.”

She added, “I will see them in my dreams forever. I will carry guilt with me for the rest of my life.”
Carrie Underwood; Photo by Disney/Christopher Willard
The Top 14 contestants will have their next chance to fight for their spot in the competition next Sunday (April 27). With guidance from a guest mentor, the singers will each choose an iconic song from a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend to perform, in hopes of securing a vote from America to move into the top 12.

In addition to airing on the network, the show is also available for streaming on Hulu.