When Carrie Underwood officially takes over as an American Idol judge on Sunday, she'll be accomplishing a first. The 2005 winner is the first decision-maker ever to walk a mile in the contestants' shoes.
"I hope I can bring a different perspective to this show," Carrie says. "There's never been a former winner be on the panel as a judge."
"And I mean, I know what they're going through," she says. "I know what it's like to be standing up there thinking like, 'What song am I supposed to be singing? I don't know.' And having judges say, 'That just wasn't the right song for you.' And you're like, 'I don't know what that means!'"
Fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie have already noticed how Carrie's prior experience on the show makes it hard for her to say no.
"You are trying to discover so much about yourself in the process," she recalls, sitting beside Luke and Lionel in the interview. "But it's like, I know what it's like to be there, and I'm discovering what it's like to be up here on this side of it, so hopefully I can bring a different perspective."
"We're all in it together and it's exciting," she smiles.
You can catch the season 23 premiere of American Idol Sunday, March 9, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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