Carrie Underwood Drops Never-Before-Seen 2005 Idol Photos—Luke Bryan Reacts as Country Queen Returns as Judge, Gets Emotional on 20-Year Anniversary

Underwood, who’s now serving as a judge on the show, won the show in 2005

Carrie Underwood. Photo: Carrie Underwood/Instagram

Carrie Underwood is throwing it back to 2005.

On Sunday, April 6, the “Before He Cheats” singer shared a carousel of never-before-seen pictures from her run on American Idol in 2005.

“Check out never before seen personal photos from my #AmericanIdol Hollywood Week in 2005!🤩 #CUonIDOL,” Underwood, 42, captioned the post.

In the first photo, 22-year-old Underwood is smiling with her shorter, curly hair parted to the side as she sports a baby pink T-shirt with her Idol sticker. In the next slide, she’s smiling as she places her hands on a concrete handprint. She also shared a photo of the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, which is where Hollywood Week is filmed, and a group photo with fellow contestants.

Carrie Underwood on Instagram.Carrie Underwood/Instagram

Season 23 of the singing competition show marks Underwood’s return to the show 20 years after winning it herself. She was announced as Katy Perry’s replacement on Good Morning America on Aug. 1.

The announcement included a video with footage of Underwood traveling from her hometown in Checotah, Oklahoma to audition for the show.

“I remember being at home in our little house and seeing on TV that there were auditions in St. Louis,” she said in the clip. “My mom said, ‘If you want to go, I’ll drive you.’”

“I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show,” she added.

Carrie Underwood.Carrie Underwood/Instagram

In a clip that premiered exclusively with PEOPLE in December, Underwood grew emotional as she made her way to the judge’s table for the first time.

“I can’t believe it. Twenty years ago I was standing on a stage just like this one,” the “Jesus, Take the Wheel” singer said.

“And now you’re sitting here with us,” fellow judge Lionel Richie responded, before judge Luke Bryan added, “that’s the power of American Idol.”

Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan.Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty

Then, host Ryan Seacrest walked up to the table and asked the judges, “So, let’s change some lives together?”

“Let’s do this,” Underwood said with a smile.

Since the start of the season, Underwood has been leaning in to her role as judge on the show. On Sunday, in addition to her throwback photos, Idol shared a compilation of moments where she’s turned into a “crier” on the show.

“For the record, I am not a crier,” Underwood said at the start of the clip, before she proceeded to cry during several auditions.