Carrie Underwood‘s American Idol journey has come full circle. Fans first met Underwood when she auditioned for season 4 of the singing competition. Following her 2005 victory, Underwood went on to become one of the biggest names in the country music world,

Country music icon Carrie Underwood has returned to the show that started her career, American Idol, twenty years after she won Season 4—this time as a judge.

Carrie Underwood got an emotional surprise during Sunday night’s (March 16) episode of American Idol. Like many of the moments on her journey as a judge thus far, it was a call-back to one of her favorite Idol memories.