{"id":42,"date":"2025-06-19T17:37:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T17:37:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/countrymusictune.com\/?p=42"},"modified":"2025-06-19T17:37:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T17:37:34","slug":"she-had-her-favorites-%f0%9f%98%b3-jamal-roberts-just-broke-his-silence-and-its-shaking-up-everything-we-thought-we-knew-about-carrie-underwood-on-american-idol-fa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/countrymusictune.com\/?p=42","title":{"rendered":"\u201cShe had her favorites.\u201d \ud83d\ude33 Jamal Roberts just broke his silence\u2014and it\u2019s shaking up everything we thought we knew about Carrie Underwood on American Idol. Fans felt the tension, saw the looks\u2026 and now Jamal\u2019s spilling what really went down. Was Carrie playing favorites? Was she cold toward certain genres? On the red carpet, he finally let it all out\u2014and what he said left jaws on the floor."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

American Idol<\/strong> Season 23 winner Jamal Roberts<\/strong> is speaking out for the first time about rumors that judge Carrie Underwood<\/strong> may have favored certain contestants over him during the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carrie Underwood\u2019s Judging Debut Sparked Strong Reactions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Carrie Underwood, who first rose to fame as the winner of American Idol<\/em> Season 4, made her debut as a guest judge during Season 23 of the show in March. Her appearance drew major attention \u2014 not only because of her legacy on the series but also for her outspoken faith and honest critiques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, near the end of the season, viewers began to speculate that Carrie was playing favorites. Some fans felt she showed clear preference for contestants whose musical styles aligned more closely with her own \u2014 particularly country artist John Foster<\/strong> and gospel singer Breanna Nix<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Jamal Roberts\u2019 Victory Raised Eyebrows Among Viewers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jamal Roberts, a school teacher from Mississippi, ultimately won American Idol<\/em> Season 23. But throughout the final weeks, fans noticed Carrie seemed more critical of his performances compared to other finalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roberts made it to the Top 3 alongside Foster and Nix. As the only finalist not representing country or gospel genres, some fans believed he wasn\u2019t getting the same level of support from Underwood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamal Finally Speaks Out: \u201cShe Had Her Picks\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In an interview at BET\u2019s 45th Anniversary red carpet, Jamal was asked directly about the favoritism rumors. Journalist Nate Vinson<\/strong> mentioned that many fans felt Carrie didn\u2019t support him like the other judges did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jamal responded candidly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cCarrie is a country singer and she likes country music. I mean, I don\u2019t think she likes every genre for real. She had her picks \u2014 who she really liked \u2014 and she stuck with it.
We applaud her for sticking to her roots and to who she liked, but I feel like the better person won.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

His remarks weren\u2019t confrontational, but they did suggest he noticed the bias \u2014 and rose above it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At the BET 45th Anniversary Dinner, \u2018American Idol\u2019 winner Jamal Roberts responded to fans calling out judge Carrie Underwood for her lack of support for Roberts across the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think she likes every genre for real,\u201d he shares. #BETAwards<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Tz1CmWkUSS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 reporting for duty. (@TheGreatIsNate) June 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Carrie Underwood\u2019s Classy Response<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although Carrie never addressed the favoritism speculation directly, she quickly celebrated Jamal\u2019s win with a heartfelt message on social media:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cCongratulations to the newest winner of @americanidol !!! I\u2019m so proud of @officialjamalroberts and all he has accomplished this season and I can\u2019t wait to see what mountains he climbs next!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

She also praised him in an interview with Extra<\/em>, saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cJamal just has a gift from God. His voice is insane. Every time he opens his mouth it is flawless.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>