Luke Bryan backtracks on ‘therapy’ quip after offering Carrie Underwood advice for replacing Katy Perry on American Idol

AMERICAN Idol judge Luke Bryan has walked back a comment while giving advice to Carrie Underwood ahead of her return.

The Season Four winner was announced as a new judge, replacing Katy Perry after the singer announced her exit from the show in February.

Luke Bryan jokingly suggested Carrie Underwood will need ‘therapy’ once she starts as a judge on American Idol[/caption]

Carrie Underwood, seen during a performance on Good Morning America, was confirmed as a new judge on the show in early August[/caption]

Luke, 48, sat down with 100.7 the Wolf’s Gabe Mercer for an interview, during which he shared his biggest tip for Carrie, 41, before she appears on the show.

“Up her therapist if she has a therapist. She’s probably gonna have to double up to deal with me and Lionel [Richie],” he said with a laugh.

“Maybe I should credit her or – Do therapists do gift cards where I can call her therapist and gift her a voucher?”

Fans in the comments of a video snippet from the interview shared on TikTok, got a laugh out of the comment.

“Luke you can call my therapist. I will gladly take a voucher,” one fan posted.

“She won American Idol I think she can handle them,” assured a second supporter.

Katy Perry (center) seen alongside Lionel Richie (left) and Luke Bryan (right) announced that she’s leaving the show back in February[/caption]

WELCOME BACK

Carrie has received a warm welcome back to American Idol nearly 20 years after she won the show as a contestant.

It was announced on August 1 that the Before He Cheats singer was taking Katy’s place on the show.

After the announcement, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest shared a welcome post for the new judge.

He posted two photos of him and Carrie on stage together.

One photo showed her being announced as the winner of Season Four, while the second was a photo of them hosting an event together.

“It’s a full-circle moment to go from announcing you as the winner of @americanidol 20 years ago to now welcoming you to the judge’s table. Welcome home, @carrieunderwood !” Ryan captioned the post.

Carrie replied in the comments, writing, “Thank you Ryan! Excited to be coming back home!”

Fans expressed their excitement in the comments as well.

Who are the past American Idol winners?

The previous American Idol winners include:

Kelly Clarkson (2002)

Ruben Studdard (2003)

Fantasia Barrino (2004)

Carrie Underwood (2005)

Taylor Hicks (2006)

Jordin Sparks (2007)

David Cook (2008)

Kris Allen (2009)

Lee DeWyze (2010)

Scotty McCreery (2011)

Phillip Phillips (2012)

Candice Glover (2013)

Caleb Johnson (2014)

Nick Fradiani (2015)

Trent Harmon (2016)

Maddie Poppe (2018)

Laine Hardy (2019)

Just Sam (2020)

Chayce Beckham (2021)

Noah Thompson (2022)

Iam Tongi (2023)

“IDOL kids all grown up! Love you both!!” celebrated one supporter.

“Very excited for Carrie to be a judge. She knows exactly what those contestants are going through and it’s going to bring a more personable interaction with everybody,” posted a second fan.

“She is perfect for this!! Welcome home Carrie. Also trying to figure out where did 20 years go?!?!?!” pointed out a third American Idol fan.

“Omg I remember watching her on Idol as a contestant and seeing her win!! I’m super happy for her!!” wrote a fourth.

BACK ON IDOL

Carrie confirmed her return to American Idol on Good Morning America.

The American Idol Instagram page also posted an announcement.

“I went from no one knowing my name to 10s of millions of people watching,” Carrie announced in a video.

“I was proud of everything I’ve accomplished on the show, and I’m proud of everything I have accomplished.”

Throwback footage of her on her farm in Oklahoma showed as she spoke.

The footage included when Ryan announced that she had won Season Four of American Idol.

“From #AmericanIdol hopeful, to global icon…to IDOL judge! Home-grown superstar @carrieunderwood will join us for Season 8!” she captioned the post.

Ryan is also returning to the show, despite being committed to Wheel of Fortune.

American Idol auditions kick off on August 8, and the new season will air in Spring 2025.

Carrie Underwood was announced as a new American Idol judge earlier this month and appeared on Good Morning America for a performance days later[/caption]