Carrie Underwood’s Priceless 2005 Idol Photos: You Won’t Believe What She Revealed!

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Carrie Underwood is reliving her American Idol days.

To celebrate the arrival of season 25’s Hollywood Week, the country singer famously known as “Cowboy Casanova,” who is currently 43 years old, took a trip down memory lane and posted some previously unseen pictures from her time on the show onto Instagram, stirring up a wave of nostalgia.

In a post from April 7th, Carrie (who won American Idol’s fourth season in 2005 when she was 21) beamed as she visited California for Hollywood Week. The initial snapshot showed her wearing a sweet baby pink top, jeans, and carrying her famous Idol audition sticker. When not rehearsing her voice for the judges, this singer also displayed her handprint being made from concrete and posing with her contemporaneous contestants.

Currently, the singer known for “Before He Cheats,” who has two sons, Isaiah Michael (10 years old) and Jacob Bryan (6 years old), with her husband Mike Fisher, now sits on the other side of the audition process. She took over Katy Perry’s role as a judge for season 25 in March, joining returning judges Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

As for how her kids reacted to her returning to her music competition roots?

In an interview with TopMob News last October, I shared a heartwarming story that took place this morning. As I was saying goodbye to the children on their way to school, one of them believed I was off to perform. He earnestly prayed, “Please let her find the perfect words and help her sing beautifully.” His dad, Mike, overheard and corrected him, thinking I wasn’t actually singing. But the child persisted, asking for wisdom instead. Such innocence and faith in prayer is truly inspiring!

TK

Her comeback to “Idol” has sparked quite a bit of nostalgia. Before the season 25 debuted last month, Carrie paused for a moment to look back at her audition days, specifically recalling her time in front of past judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson.

In a video posted on March 4th on her YouTube channel, she expressed amazement at how 21-year-old Carrie managed to find the courage to perform an audition in front of Simon, Paul, Randy, and a global audience. It’s mind-blowing to consider that making certain life choices can drastically change one’s path.

For more secrets about American Idol, keep reading…

In a 2020 TikTok post, Margie Mays, who participated in seasons 17 and 18 of American Idol, stated that contestants don’t receive payment until they reach the live rounds. However, she clarified that she did get compensated for appearing in American Idol commercials and performing during the finale after her elimination.

Mays further explained that expenses such as travel (like to Hawaii) and daily living costs while on the show are covered, but contestants aren’t paid for their participation. Instead, this is a sacrifice they make in pursuit of winning.

However, if a contestant does win, there is a substantial reward. In 2022, season 16 champion Maddie Poppe told Business Insider that the winner receives $250,000, but after taxes, this amount significantly decreases. Additionally, half of the prize money is given before completing the record, and the remaining half is awarded upon completion of the record deal, essentially serving as an advance for the record contract. However, Poppe mentioned that she needs to recoup this amount.

Indeed, it turns out that the season seven champion, David Cook, shared with Business Insider that his audition in front of judges such as Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson was actually his fifth try.

In the world of American Idol, there are several methods for singers to audition, including open calls, online live auditions, and social media submissions. However, according to the show’s rules, those who receive a callback during the audition process must make their own travel arrangements.

“Once you reach Hollywood Week,” David explained, “they take care of accommodations and flights for you. But yes, when it comes to the city auditions, you’re responsible for your own costs.

Once you receive your golden ticket from judges like Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan, the next step is Hollywood Week in California. But does the show take care of the travel costs?

Indeed, as Margie explained in a 2020 TikTok video, if you need to fly there, the show will arrange and pay for your flight. They’ll also pick you up from the airport and provide transportation to the hotel, which they cover the cost of. In addition, meals are included during this time.

To summarize, while they won’t be giving you cash, they will take care of your travel and accommodation expenses.

In the initial stages of the competition, each contestant is in charge of selecting their own outfits. However, once they reach the live rounds (usually starting from Top 14), they are provided with stylists, hair, and makeup services to help them transition from a regular person to a star. It’s important to note that these stylists work within a budget. For instance, in 2013, a former costume designer mentioned that each contestant was given $400 per episode for their wardrobe. They are building their image and brand, so if the cost of an outfit exceeds this amount, the contestant must decide whether to pay the extra cost themselves if they really want to wear it.

 

After Ryan Seacrest announces the competition results and singers are eliminated, it’s time for them to gather their belongings and prepare to depart.

In Hollywood Week, contestants are typically sent home immediately after being notified, with travel arrangements made as swiftly as possible. According to Margie, in a 2021 TikTok video, “You usually leave the theater and go straight to a different hotel. Then they book you on a flight right away.”

However, later in the competition, things change. For instance, when contestants are in Hawaii, they all return to Los Angeles on the same plane, regardless of whether they made it to the Top 20 or not. If a contestant is eliminated between the Top 20 and Top 10 rounds, they might leave quickly afterwards. But if a contestant is in the Top 10 and gets cut, there’s a good chance they will remain in the apartments until the finale because they may be invited back for the final performance.

On American Idol, contestants need to be at least 15 years old, so some singers had to juggle their studies while competing. As Danielle Finn, who was 17 during season 20, put it to season 14 runner-up Clark Beckham in 2022, “We had school on set and all that stuff. We couldn’t film more than 10 hours a day. If we ever went over, we were kept aside. And if we ever had free time? ‘Oh, you gotta go to school.'” Victoria Johnson, who was 16 during season 22’s Showstopper round, shared a similar experience. Though she was on spring break during Hollywood Week, as a minor, “they made me do the required school hours,” she told University Press in 2024. “I just did puzzles the whole time because I didn’t have any schoolwork to do…This semester, I’m taking all my classes online due to Idol, as I was going back and forth with filming.

Over the course of several years, participants on American Idol have resided in various places such as apartments, hotels, and even luxurious mansions. For example, during season eight, a massive house boasted amenities like a basketball court, bowling alley, movie theater, and both indoor and outdoor swimming pools.

In a February 2024 Instagram post reflecting on her time 15 years earlier, contestant Lil Rounds commented, “That mansion was amazing, but we barely got any sleep.”

Currently, it seems that the contestants are accommodated in hotels. In fact, season 22 winner Abi Carter and top seven finalist Julia Gagnon shared a room together.

During their time on the show, both Ruben Studdard and Jena Irene Asciutto described their schedules as incredibly hectic. They had to select songs, prepare for performances, undergo vocal coaching, film show packages and commercials, and make sure everything was perfect in the studio. Each week, they would tape segments on Tuesday mornings, followed by the actual live show on Wednesday. As the contestants were eliminated, those remaining had to take on more responsibilities to fill the time left by departing competitors. The workload only increased as the competition progressed.

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2025-04-09 00:18