"Really surprised" — American Idol fans criticize judge Carrie Underwood for initially saying "no" to Mikaela Bautista

Season 23 of American Idol aired another round of live auditions on March 16, 2025. Aspiring artists of various genres participated in the competition to impress the judges in hopes of getting a Golden Ticket. Among those aspirants was 23-year-old Mikaela Bautista, who earned herself a pass to the next round. However, judge Carrie Underwood was initially hesitant about advancing the singer.

"I would like to hear more emotion in it, more connection. It's a no for me," Carrie said.

Despite the "no" from Carrie, Mikaela moved ahead in the competition with two yeses from Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan. After receiving the Ticket, Mikaela was joined by her family, who congratulated her and cheered for her. Carrie then requested Mikaela to duet with her father. It was their performance that convinced Carrie to change her decision and give Mikaela a "yes."

American Idol fans on X questioned Carrie's initial verdict. While many praised Mikaela's audition, others criticized Carrie for not saying "yes" the first time.

"@CarrieUnderwood Oh goodness Mikaela sang beautifully and I'm really surprised you did not give her a yes!! Goodness, she was great! I know it's not easy but her voice was stunning!" a fan wrote.

"carrie underwood said no to this girl?! wth," another fan commented.

"I still can't get over Carrie telling this girl no. #AmericanIdol Glad she got the yes, but I've seen some questionable singers get through," a netizen tweeted.

While many American Idol fans appreciated Mikaela's rendition of Whitney Houston's Saving All My Love for You, others were surprised to hear Carrie say "no."

"Carrie saying no to that girl…tf?" a user reacted.

"carrie told her no.. um girl," a person commented.

"Whitney Houston’s songs are HARD to get right and Mikaela did it justice that was amazing," another fan wrote.

"The fu... is going on with Carrie Underwood?! Arguably the best audition this season and she's a "No"? (the Saving All My Love audition)," one user posted.

Other American Idol fans expressed a similar sentiment.

"MIKAELA IS GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL SINGER THROUGHOUT THIS COMPETITON. AND THIS MOMENT WITH HER DAD WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. IT REALLY JUST SHOW THAT SHE HAS IT. LIKE LEMME TELL YOU.... FILPINOS HAVE THE GIFT OF SINGING," a person reacted.

"she really changed her vote.. you should’ve said yes the first time," another netizen commented.

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"Can I change my judgment?" — American Idol panelist Carrie Underwood reconsiders her initial opinion of Mikaela's performance

Mikaela, a registered behavioral tech, presented the judges with a cover of Whitney Houston's Saving All My Love for You. While reviewing Mikaela's audition, Carrie pointed at areas where she felt "nerves crept in." Nevertheless, she appreciated her voice and believed she had "a lot of potential."

Luke, on the other hand, stated that the American Idol participant was "solid on all levels." Lionel was equally complimentary when he praised Mikaela's control over her voice. The judges then took a vote. While Carrie decided not to advance Mikaela, Luke said, "I'm a yes."

"Listen, I think Carrie's hitting it dead on the money. We need every song you do to connect us to you. But I think you got the voice to do it with. It's a yes from me," Lionel said.

After Mikaela's family joined her on stage, Carrie requested Mikaela to duet with her father. The duo sang The Prayer by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, leaving a lasting impression on the American Idol experts.

After hearing the pair sing, Carrie said:

"Can I change my judgment? I would like to strike my previous... and, you have three yeses."

Mikaela and her family applauded the decision and thanked the judges.

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American Idol is available to stream exclusively on Hulu.