As a former American Idol winner herself, Carrie Underwood has a special perspective on what words of wisdom a newly-crowned champ most needs to hear.

Carrie Underwood Said Five Powerful Words to the New ‘American Idol’ Champ

So when Jamal Roberts’ name was called as the big winner during the Season 23 finale on Sunday night (May 18), Underwood shared a message to him that was so simple and powerful, she only needed three words to convey it.

“I got to tell him afterwards, I was like, ‘Now go do great things,’” Underwood told Extra TV after the finale.

Roberts and his fellow finalists, John Foster and Breanna Nix, were all in similar situations to Underwood’s own, back when she was a finalist-turned-winner on Idol as a budding artist in 2005.

All of them had talent, but their platforms were modest. Now, the show is giving them a springboard to accomplish their wildest musical dreams.

“With Jamal, with John, with Breanna, I’m like, ‘This is who the show is for,’” Underwood elaborates. “Everybody had, you know, small followings on Instagram or whatever, but it wasn’t like they had been doing this for years.”

This season marked Underwood’s first as a judge on American Idol, as well as the 20th anniversary since she won the show. Its episodes were filled with throwbacks to Underwood’s own Idol days: In one, she wore the very same dress that she had on when she won the competition.

In addition to serving as a judge on the finale episode, Underwood also performed with Top 5 finalist Slater Nalley. They sang a rendition of “I’m Gonna Love You,” Underwood’s hit duet with Cody Johnson, and Johnson himself came out as a surprise guest in the middle of the performance.

On Sunday, May 18, judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, plus host Ryan Seacrest officially bid farewell to season 23, crowning Jamal Roberts as its winner.

This season was the first that the “Before He Cheats” singer appeared on as a judge, 20 years after winning the long-running music competition herself, but is she coming back? Here’s what we know.

Carrie Underwood with American Idol season 23 winner Jamal Roberts

Showrunner and executive producer Megan Michaels Wolflick, speaking with TVLine, stayed largely mum on what the judges panel will look like next season, but promised official confirmation is coming soon.

Gushing about Carrie’s judging debut following Katy Perry’s departure, she said: “I think she brought so much,” adding: “She really had to carve out her own role. She was stepping into the shoes of a former judge, but she needed to be her own person, and she definitely did that.”

“I think she brought a nostalgia factor, and I also like that she brought a little criticism and constructive feedback, which is very much needed. She knows back in her day how hard she was pushed every week to become the best. So I think she’s brought a lot to the show, and I hope people love it,” she further shared.

Carrie Underwood on the season 4 finale of American Idol in 2005© WireImage

The singer on the season 4 finale of American Idol in 2005
Then, asked whether next season will feature the same panel of judges, Meghan first noted “it’s early days still,” but maintained: “I love our panel.”

“I think we’re in a good place,” she went on, emphasizing: “They’re all passionate about the show. Obviously, American Idol is coming back as a show, and we already have thousands of submissions coming in for next season.”

Carrie is loving her role on American Idol

Still, she added: “The momentum is coming, but we’ll have to stay tuned. We never share our hand before the end of the season, but it should be coming soon, and we’re excited about the show doing so well.”

Shortly after Carrie was confirmed as the new judge last year, she reflected on what a full circle moment it was, as it came 20 years after her own win during season four in 2005.

The mother of two shared that it had been 20 years since her first appearance on the show

Speaking on Good Morning America at the time, she emphasized: “I mean it feels like home,” adding: “There’s so many people that still work on the show that were there when I was a contestant, and I feel like being on both sides of the coin, I’ll be able to hopefully offer some insight and help.”

Plus, asked what kind of judge she might be, one thing she could say was: “I can’t lie, I just can’t, you can tell. I feel like I’ll be very honest but hopefully inspiring.”