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Carrie Underwood<\/b><\/a> was not the top choice to replace <\/span>Katy Perry<\/b><\/a> on<\/span> American Idol<\/span><\/i><\/a>, but an insider exclusively tells Life & Style<\/em> that she got the job after agreeing to a cut price salary that\u2019s easily half of Katy\u2019s exorbitant $25 million a season salary.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s well known internally that Miley Cyrus<\/strong> was the network and the producers\u2019 first choice to replace Katy, but topping Katy\u2019s already-high salary was never on the table with Miley,\u201d an ABC source tells Life & Style<\/em>. \u201cKaty\u2019s enormous salary was an outlier and it was that high because ABC was asking for a lot of her time away from making music and performing, more time than she had ever given something other than her own pop career.\u201d<\/p>\n The insider explains that it\u2019s \u201cdifferent\u201d when it comes to Carrie, 41, \u201cbecause she\u2019s been part of the Idol family since its early days and she has a vested interest in the franchise continuing<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s also just a natural at using her [past] appearances on the show to promote her own music, something we\u2019re seeing Katy struggle with now that she \u2018s back to being a full time pop star,\u201d the source continues. \u201cBut another one of Carrie\u2019s strengths is her humility, and Carrie did not need to be offered a Katy-sized salary to come back into the franchise.\u201d<\/p>\n The insider adds, \u201cEgo is not what drives her and she isn\u2019t a greedy person<\/a>. And culturally she\u2019s a better fit with the show, the producers and ABC thanks to her middle-America appeal.\u201d<\/p>\n The source concludes that Carrie is a smart choice to take over Katy\u2019s role as judge because she\u2019s well liked. \u201cEverybody loves her because she\u2019s so authentic and, frankly, normal,\u201d the insider points out.<\/p>\n Katy, 39, announced her decision to leave American Idol<\/em> after seven seasons in May. Following her departure, it was confirmed that Carrie was taking over her judging role in August.<\/p>\n While Carrie \u2013 who won season 4 of the singing competition show \u2013 is no stranger to American Idol<\/em>, an additional insider previously told Life & Style<\/em> that the judging gig will be \u201ca huge step up\u201d in her career<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe bosses are relieved to have a glamorous country star of Carrie\u2019s caliber on board, plus she has the history with the show,\u201d the source shared. \u201cThe big question here is whether she\u2019s got the temperament to handle this pressure as the bosses are banking on her to hit the ground running and deliver big ratings, plus how she reacts to the inevitable online trolling.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite being a major move in her career, a third source previously told Life & Style<\/em> that Carrie\u2019s husband, Mike Fisher,<\/strong> wasn\u2019t thrilled about her accepting the judging job<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is a little concerned she may perform poorly under pressure,\u201d the insider shared.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the source added that the \u201cBefore He Cheats\u201d singer was \u201cstressed out\u201d and felt like she was \u201cunder a lot of pressure\u201d ahead of her judging debut. \u201cThough she isn\u2019t admitting it, Carrie thinks she may have taken on too much,\u201d the insider revealed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n