American Idol season 23’s Carrie Underwood revealed why she thinks one contestant’s father may be angry at her after some tough results amid signs the judges aren’t doing their jobs. Carrie, American Idol season 23’s newest judge, has been working hard to ensure that she does her best with the contestants as she moves through the season. While she’s been facing backlash, there’s been a flood of support for Carrie as the season has gone on while other issues on Idol have been pointed out as larger, more pressing matters, and things the show has been ignoring consistently.

Carrie has the unique ability to empathize with the contestants on stage, understanding their stress over potentially being sent home, which is why she cares about other people’s reactions to what happens on the show.

According to an interview with ET, Carrie shared that she was a bit concerned about the idea of Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell being angry with her after his son, Baylee Littrell, was eliminated from the competition in the most recent episode. “Don’t think it didn’t cross my mind,” Carrie joked, before explaining that she’s a huge fan of Baylee, despite his elimination. “Baylee is so good. It was one of those things where we try to think of what people want to see…somebody’s got to be voted off,” Carrie shared, seeming hopeful about Baylee’s future career.

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Custom Image by Cesar Garcia

Although Carrie has been criticized for being too nice during American Idol season 23, her kindness has been a quality that many are happy to see when it comes to eliminations and the contestants who are being sent home. As a former American Idol winner, Carrie has the unique ability to empathize with the contestants, understanding their stress over potentially being sent home during the competition. Brian, the Backstreet Boys member who accompanied his son Baylee on his Idol audition, is someone who also understands the many no’s someone can hear in the industry before they get a break.

While some may believe that Brian would be mad at Carrie for choosing to eliminate his son Baylee along with her fellow judges Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie, it’s far more likely that he was understanding of the decision than angry about it. Though Carrie joked about the idea that Brian could be mad at her, she seems to understand that he grasps the ups and downs of the industry just as well as any other artist, and he’s imparted that sort of wisdom on his son ahead of his own music journey. Carrie’s self-awareness helps with these tough decisions.

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Although Carrie was clear that she really enjoyed Baylee from early on in the season, knowing when someone is ready for the challenge of American Idol and when they aren’t is a decision that rests on the judges. Sharing that she was a fan of his from early on, Carrie opened up about the fact that she and her fellow judges had to make tough decisions on the show, and Baylee happened to be one of them. American Idol may not have been the right path for Baylee, but the show’s not the last we’ll see of the future star.

American Idol airs Sundays and Mondays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.