People walking through downtown Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday got a surprise. Carrie Underwood was right there on Broughton Street, filming the next season of “American Idol.”
Carrie knows that show better than almost anyone. She’s the Oklahoma-born singer who won “American Idol” back in 2005, and the new season will be her third as a judge. For someone who once stood on the other side of that judges’ table hoping for a yes, it’s a full-circle job.
She wasn’t alone. Her fellow judges came along for the shoot. Lionel Richie is the star known for the Commodores and the ballad “Hello.” The third judge is Luke Bryan, the Georgia-born country star of “Country Girl (Shake It for Me).” To see how the three of them get along, watch them talk “Idol” together on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where they chatted about contestants covering their songs.
Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie talk “American Idol” with Jimmy Fallon
They were filming Season 25, and this one is different. ABC says the whole season will be filmed in Georgia for the first time in the show’s history.
That’s a big change. Last season, auditions and Hollywood Week were filmed in Nashville, and the live shows happened in Los Angeles. This time Fremantle, the company that produces the show, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that parts will be shot at Trilith Studios in Fayetteville and “at least some auditions” in Savannah. Entertainment Tonight looked at what the move means for the show, if you want the bigger picture.
Why “American Idol” is moving to Georgia
The judges weren’t the first to be spotted, either. Host Ryan Seacrest was seen filming in the city’s Forsyth Park on Monday, Oct 26.
For Luke, this one is personal. He grew up in Leesburg, Georgia, so “Idol” is now filming in his home state.
Maybe that’s why he felt right at home on Broughton Street.
While the cameras rolled, Luke climbed up into the driver’s seat of a big flatbed semi truck. A camera crew followed him. He gave the horn a honk, and then he looked out at everyone and joked, “How’s the insurance on this thing?”
Then he actually drove it. Only a few feet forward, but that was enough to get everyone’s attention.
He turned to the people watching and asked, “I got you nervous?”
You don’t often see a country star working the horn on a big rig in the middle of a city street, with a film crew trailing behind him. For the folks on the sidewalk, it was a lot more fun than an ordinary Wednesday.
Carrie and Lionel stayed put across the street and watched the whole thing. WJCL anchor Leon Purvis was there too, and he’s the one who posted the truck moment online.
Savannah’s WJCL-TV also caught the three judges out on the street that day. Their video shows the three of them in downtown Savannah.
The “American Idol” judges on a Savannah street
Season 25 is expected to premiere in early 2027. If this week is any sign, Savannah viewers may spot a few familiar corners when it does.
And don’t be surprised if Luke finds another excuse to climb behind the wheel of something.