Now that Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie are getting used to judging “American Idol” with Carrie Underwood, who took over for Katy Perry as the third judge in 2025, they’re starting to get to know her better — including that she’s never, ever late to the set.
According to CountryNow, Bryan told SiriusXM’s “The Highway” host Cody Alan in December that Underwood is never late — and has lots of good stories about being a boy mom!
Luke Bryan Can’t Believe How Punctual Carrie Underwood Is While Filming
DisneyWhen Alan asked Bryan what he’s learned about Underwood after filming season 23 and the auditions for season 24, he said, “Well, you know, the thing about, you learn about, I know about Carrie Underwood, is like she is the most on-time person you have ever met.”
“I’m talking about punctual, dialed in, professional,” Bryan continued. “I’m talking about like one minute before like Bill Belichick taught her how to show up on time. And so, I mean, I’m in my dressing room — and I’m pretty good — but then … you can look on the monitor and see who’s in the chair already. And it’s, let’s say it’s 9:03, and there’s Carrie, ready, looking at her nails…So, just her punctuality.”
Luke Bryan Loves That Carrie Underwood is Busy Being a Boy Mom, Too
Bryan also told Alan that he’s enjoyed hearing about Underwood’s adventures as a boy mom. He and his wife Caroline have been through it with their older boys, but Underwood and her husband, former NFL player Mike Fisher, are raising Isaiah, 10, and Jacob, who will turn 7 on January 21.
“I’ll tell you, you know, this is our second year that we’ve started together,” Bryan said, “and just getting to know her and her family dynamic. I mean, having two boys, it’s really fun to hear the stories going on around their household.”
One of Underwood’s favorite things to do for her family is cook what her family has grown and hunted, frequently sharing the recipes she’s canned for winter meals. In the June 2025 Instagram post above, she wrote, “I put about 35 (??) ish pheasants into some soup and pot pie filling, got rid of some of last year’s black and blueberries and made some cobbler filling and tried to do something with all the plums we’ve got growing here. Not sure if I made jam or plum butter or some sort of sauce out of it, but I’ll figure out something to do with it!”
Underwood has been able to stay close to home while filming the first episodes of season 24. She and Bryan’s families both live just outside of Nashville, where he told Alan they filmed most of the auditions as well as the new version of Hollywood Week, which has been renamed “Hollywood Week: Music City Takeover” for 2026.
“American Idol” season 24 kicks off on ABC on January 26 at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
Mike Fisher played in the NHL, not the NFL.