When the news broke that Katy Perry was leaving American Idol, we asked her fellow judge Luke Bryan about her departure, and he seemed like he had known it was coming.

At that time, we didn't know who was going to replace Perry, and neither did he.

Fast forward to now, and we know Carrie Underwood is going to be the new judge on American Idol starting in the spring of 2025. Chatting Idol with Bryan again, and he revealed some things that we didn't know about his relationship with Underwood.

Are Luke Bryan and Carrie Underwood Friends?

One would assume that two major A-list country stars who have both been in the game about the same amount of time would already be great friends.

As the two Season 23 Idol judges get ready to start filming, Bryan revealed something to us that might make for good television. Talking to Taste of Country Nights, host Evan Paul asked him how close he and Underwood are.

"Carrie and I, aside from just saying hey and doing a couple of songs together on stage, we've never really got to hang out and visit in-depth," the "Love You, Miss You, Mean It" singer shares.

Bryan admits that he hangs with Underwood's husband, Mike, more than he has ever hung out with Carrie.

This isn't the first major country superstar to say they hang out with Underwood's husband more often than the superstar: Jason Aldean told us that in a recent interview, as well.

Bryan also let us in on a little behind-the-scenes secret of Idol: He says that the three judges will be going to dinner together in a couple of weeks to talk and familiarize themselves with each other.

Hopefully they'll become fast friends. In addition to Bryan and Underwood, Lionel Richie will continue as an Idol judge next year.

34 Pictures of Luke Bryan Young

Luke Bryan has been a force in country music pretty much since he arrived in Nashville in 2005. "All My Friends Say" started the fire for him as a solo artist — and the rest is history. Let's take a walk through time with 34 pictures of Luke Bryan young.

Gallery Credit: Evan Paul

Pictures: See Inside Luke Bryan's Stunning Beach House

Luke Bryan listed his 4,600-square-foot beach house for sale in December 2022. The stunning Florida mansion includes four bedrooms and bathrooms and comes furnished. The master bedroom overlooks 95 feet of water frontage, but if you don't want to descend all four floors to get there, you can absorb the warmth of the private, heated pool. This Santa Rosa Beach property is on sale for $12.95 million, among the most ever for a country star's house.

Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes

20 Things Carrie Underwood Has Done Since Winning 'American Idol'

Carrie Underwood has been, well, busy since winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005. Since the confetti fell, the country singer has released nine albums and embarked on seven tours. She's also tried her hand at acting and launched a handful of businesses.

Over the years she's become one of the biggest success stories to come out of the show, winning countless awards and amassing a staggering net worth of over $100 million.

Keep scrolling to see 20 things Underwood has done since her time on the reality singing competition.

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