Carrie Underwood’s first season as judge on American Idol continues to be a highlight of the 2025 TV schedule. As one of the most famous American Idol contestants, winning Season 4 in 2005, she’s returned to her old stomping grounds 20 years later to help find the next Idol winner. Since the episodes currently airing are still pre-taped, with live shows yet to come, Underwood has been watching every week, and she shared a solid routine to get through it that earned a stamp of approval from Candace Cameron Bure.
It’s not always easy for a performer to watch themselves or hear themselves, but Underwood takes it in stride. The Grammy winner took to Instagram to share how she prepares herself to watch new episodes of American Idol with a fresh boule and glass of vino, and it’s certainly the perfect way: