Spoiler alert! This story discusses the final night of America’s Got Talent’s live quarterfinals, which aired September 8. The performance and results shows are available for next-day streaming with a Peacock subscription.

The semifinals are set, as America’s Got Talent Season 21 went long on the 2026 TV schedule this week for two hours of live performances, followed immediately by an hourlong results show. What better night, then, to welcome back Heidi Klum? The former longtime AGT judge sat in for Simon Cowell, and I think it’s safe to say she enjoyed her comeback — particularly one act that left her “gobsmacked.” But I love that she also took time to shout out Cowell as he continues to recover from back surgery.

Only one Golden Buzzer has been handed out per week in the AGT Season 21 live quarterfinals, and on the September 8 episode, it was Sofía Vergara who was in charge of it. Heidi Klum sounded a tad disappointed it wasn't her, and I have to admit I was, too, after last week’s guest judge Kenan Thompson got one. It worked out, though, because I think everyone was in agreement after watching Unitree’s dance with robots. Check out the performance below:

Wu Yufei, a 26-year-old engineer and dancer, said he wanted to bring traditional Chinese dance to an American audience, and he used the latest technology to do it. After watching the intricately choreographed routine that had humans and robots dancing and flipping together, Heidi Klum was blown away. Actually, as she put it:

Howie Mandel was just as worked up over the performance Unitree accomplished, saying:

Even more viral than AGT’s young rockstar Nene Royal? I guess time will tell, but we'll definitely see them again in the finals after earning Sofía Vergara's Golden Buzzer.

It's still unclear if Simon Cowell will be able to rejoin his colleagues by then. Howie Mandel reported that Cowell’s back surgery was a “success,” but no timetable has been given on his return.

He was still on everyone’s minds, though, and Heidi Klum had a message for Cowell as she made her own triumphant return, saying:

She’s just keeping it warm for you, Simon! With all of the semifinal acts announced, the next round of competition is set to kick off at 8 p.m. ET next Tuesday, September 15, on NBC. Next week, America’s Got Talent will also return to two shows per week, with results following at the same time on Wednesday night. Tune in to see who will join Unitree and the rest of the Golden Buzzer recipients in the finals!

There have been some amazing acts thus far on America’s Got Talent’s Season 21 since the quarterfinals went live on the 2026 TV schedule. We’ve seen viral rocker Nene Royal return to the stage, as well as the contortionist whose audition made me scream. One thing (or person, rather) we haven’t seen, though, is Simon Cowell, as the fan-favorite judge stepped away to have back surgery. Howie Mandel has an update for fans on Cowell's status, and he also responded to the news of Heidi Klum’s impending return.

Terry Crews announced on the August 25 episode of AGT that Simon Cowell would be missing a few episodes due to a back operation that couldn’t be postponed. On September 3, Howie Mandel spoke out to provide us with an update, telling E! News:

It’s great to hear that Simon Cowell’s back surgery was a success, according to his fellow AGT judge, though there’s still no indication how long his recovery will take or when we can expect to see him back on the NBC talent competition. Howie Mandel admitted he hadn’t talked to Cowell yet, pointing to his face as he joked:

Simon Cowell has been experiencing issues since breaking his back in an electric bike accident in 2020. The talent producer underwent an 11-hour surgery to have spinal fusions and a metal rod inserted into his back, from which he recovered relatively quickly. However, he reinjured himself in a second e-bike accident less than two years later.

Howie Mandel said he can’t wait to see Simon Cowell “and give him my best wishes,” but in the meantime, America’s Got Talent fans will see a familiar face rejoining the panel in Cowell’s place.

Heidi Klum Is Returning To AGT As A Guest Judge While Simon Cowell Is Out

Of course no one can replicate the dry, British wit that Simon Cowell brings to America’s Got Talent, and for the first week of his absence, no one tried. However, longtime SNL cast member Kenan Thompson joined the judges last week, and for the upcoming episode — the final night of live quarterfinals — we’ll see Heidi Klum reclaim her spot at the judges’ table.

Howie Mandel reacted to the big news, saying:

Heidi Klum was a judge on AGT for Seasons 8-13 and 15-19, before she stepped away in 2025 ahead of her return to Project Runway. It will be so much fun to see her join Howie Mandel, Mel B and Sofía Vergara. I can’t help but wonder if Terry Crews will put her in charge of the Golden Buzzer.

We’ll have to tune in to find out when America’s Got Talent’s final night of the Season 21 quarterfinals airs live at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, September 29, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Kenan Thompson is heading into his 24^th season of Saturday Night Live, which will soon hit the 2026 TV schedule. With that, the beloved star will continue his reign as the longest-tenured SNL cast member. While it’s hard to imagine the series without him at this point, it's likely that the time will come when Thompson decides to step down. And, when that eventually happens, I hope he launches a great next chapter that aligns with a gig he just landed.

It's been confirmed that Thompson will be a guest judge on America’s Got Talent on Tuesday night for the third Quarterfinals episode. As explained by TV Insider, this move is due to Simon Cowell temporarily stepping away from live shows amid AGT Season 21 to recover from a non-emergency back procedure. As it stands, Cowell will be back “in a few weeks,” as his rep shared in a statement. In the meantime, though, I'm excited over the decision to have Thompson step in.

For the former Nickelodeon star, this may be the gig he could do permanently when he eventually leaves SNL. Or, at the very least, he could do something similar on that level. He also has the experience, as he's filled in for Cowell before on AGT. Not only that, but Thompson was also a guest judge on The Masked Singer and a judge for Bring the Funny in 2019. Thompson's magnetic personality and jovial demeanor make him perfect for these kinds of shows. So it's very easy for me to see him regularly hosting or judging some sort of reality series in the future.

Considering Thompson has been on Saturday Night Live for a long time, it’s hard to tell how much longer he’s willing to stay. Earlier this summer, he shared the harrowing reason why he’s still on SNL, and he chalks it up to his desire to ensure he has steady work. That's because there have been times in his life where his bank account has in the negative range. With all that in mind, it's understandable as to why the father of two would want the job stability.

Thompson has already thought about what his final day at SNL will be like, and I hope that it’s not anytime soon. While he acknowledged that there would be so many "layers" to it, he simply declared that the day was "gonna suck."

On that note, SNL has seen a handful of exits in the last year, both before and during Season 51. And, ahead of Season 52, veteran cast member Chloe Fineman has already exited the show. As of now, it’s unknown if anyone else will depart before the new season starts. I would hope that whenever Thompson does step away, an announcement will come well ahead of his final taping. I'll be sad when that happens, but I'd imagine it'll be quite a send-off.

Before Kenan Thompson returns to SNL, see him as a guest judge on America’s Got Talent this Tuesday, September 1, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Who knows? Maybe this could be a glimpse of Thompson's post-SNL career and, if it is, I think viewers will be all the better for it.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses America’s Got Talent Season 21’s episode from August 25. If you need to catch up, you can stream it with a Peacock subscription.

The second group of artists performing on AGT’s live quarterfinals got the chance to take the stage on Tuesday in hopes of earning enough votes from America to advance to the semifinals. Amongst those was Nene Royal, the 16-year-old rock star from Thailand who’s been going viral since her shocking audition. I was really excited to see her perform live, but I wasn’t ready for how the judges reacted.

Speaking of the judges, Simon Cowell missed the episode that aired August 25 on the 2026 TV schedule, as Terry Crews explained he was undergoing an “operation that cannot be postponed.” Mel B, Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara held down the fort just fine, but I’m certain that Cowell was disappointed he had to miss Nene Royal’s rendition of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.”

Check it out below:

After Nene Royal caught the audience (and judges) off-guard at her audition with The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” she got a little mentoring from Howie Mandel during America’s Got Talent’s first callback round. She played to an intimate crowd at The Laugh Factory, seemingly proving her nerves of steel, and still I wasn’t prepared for how she shredded that guitar to the ‘90s hit.

Clearly, Howie Mandel wasn’t ready for it either, because when the song was over, his first reaction was:

It doesn’t get much clearer than that. Howie Mandel thinks Nene Royal has what it takes to win America’s Got Talent Season 21. But of course he does — he chose to mentor her during callbacks, after all — so what did the other judges think?

I mean, I wouldn’t take Sofía Vergara for a fan of hard rock, but she’s definitely a fan of Nene Royal, as she agreed with Howie Mandel, saying:

And while the panel’s Spice Girl admitted the teenage rocker’s genre wasn’t as poppy as the music she typically prefers, Mel B couldn’t deny that Nene Royal gave a Golden Buzzer-worthy performance. That means the Thai musician joins the Hundred Fingers magicians in going straight through to the AGT Season 21 finale.

Voting is open until 7 a.m. ET Wednesday, August 26, with the three highest vote-getters from Tuesday’s show moving onto the semifinals. Tune in to see who made it on the live results show, airing at 8 p.m. ET August 26, on NBC, then come back for more live quarterfinals next Tuesday.

America’s Got Talent has just reached a critical point in its 21st season, as live shows kicked off last week on the 2026 TV schedule. But as contestants like the “bloody fantastic” parkour performer participate in what is likely the biggest moment of their lives to date, there’s going to be one vital person missing from the audience. Simon Cowell is reportedly stepping away from the AGT judges’ table for a couple of weeks.

Simon Cowell is scheduled to have back surgery soon, according to TMZ, which will reportedly force him to miss several tapings of America’s Got Talent’s live shows. While the British TV personality has struggled with back issues since breaking his back in an electric bike accident in 2020, this surgery is allegedly a routine procedure, rather than an indication of further complications.

No official word has come from Simon Cowell or NBC on when his reported hiatus will begin and who (if anyone) will replace him on the judging panel during his absence. We also don’t know exactly how many weeks he’s expected to be out, which makes sense, because I’d imagine that will depend on him and how quickly he recovers.

Simon Cowell’s Back Issues Stem From A 2020 E-Bike Accident

Doctors told Simon Cowell after his accident in 2020 that he might never walk again, as he required an 11-hour surgery to have spinal fusions and a metal rod inserted into his back. While the incident forced him to miss tapings of AGT at the time, he recovered well, and fairly quickly, too — at least until about a year and a half later when he had a second e-bike accident.

This time the former American Idol judge suffered a broken arm and other injuries, and his back issues were exacerbated by the second crash. No wonder his son Eric “went crazy” when he saw his dad try to keep riding afterward!

Simon Cowell has been experiencing ramifications of those electric bike accidents for years, so while we don’t have any information straight from the source, it would make sense if his reported upcoming back surgery is related to that.

Why I Think It’s OK To Lose Simon Cowell At This Point in AGT Season 21

This is quite the blow for AGT Season 21, both for the contestants, who take pride in impressing the not-as-rude-as-he-seems judge, and the audience, who loves to boo any notion of negative feedback from him.

While it won’t be the same to not have Simon Cowell’s reactions and constructive criticism, I think if he has to miss any episodes, this is the portion of the competition for him to miss. The judges — who include Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara and Mel B — have done the biggest part of their job, choosing the performers during the auditions, then using the historic callback twist to decide who will perform for America's vote in the quarterfinals.

With the live shows kicking off, the power is handed over to America to choose who stays and who goes, so Simon Cowell won’t be missing out on any of the decision-making.

It’s not clear when exactly his hiatus will start, but either way, you can tune in to see Night 2 of live quarterfinals at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, August 25, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription. A live results show will air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, August 26.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses America’s Got Talent’s live performance show from August 18, which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription if you haven’t seen it.

AGT Season 21 has officially gone live. The auditions are over, the unprecedented callback round has come and gone, and now we get to see new acts from the 43 performers our esteemed judges have deemed the best this season has to offer. The first 11 of those performed Tuesday, and while there were definitely some surprising acts, I was more shocked to see Howie Mandel sacrifice his body to hit the Golden Buzzer for one performance.

While each judge and host Terry Crews were given two Golden Buzzers in the auditions, only Howie Mandel had the power as the first night of America’s Got Talent’s live quarterfinals hit the 2026 TV schedule. He was grateful he did, as the Hundred Fingers magicians from South Korea took the stage to give a performance that was even bigger and more impressive than the one that earned them a Golden Buzzer in the first place.

You can see their new act below:

Howie Mandel couldn’t even maintain his composure — heck, even Simon got out of his chair for a rare standing ovation — and the comedian flung himself onto the table at the Golden Buzzer, accidentally activating his own red X in the process.

Terry Crews called it “the craziest Golden Buzzer we’ve ever had,” asking Howie Mandel what he was thinking as he sacrificed his body to send Hundred Fingers straight to the finals. Mandel stammered:

Those are some strong words, and don’t think for a second that Howie Mandel or any of the other America’s Got Talent judges were taking it easy on the performers just because they’d made it to the live shows. Earlier in the episode Mandel had even asked Simon Cowell if they were still allowed to hit their red buzzers during the quarterfinals when he became bored with one act.

Howie Mandel was the one who gave Hundred Fingers their Golden Buzzer in the auditions, too, but the judges were putting a huge emphasis on which performers had taken their notes and improved their acts for the quarterfinals.

Hundred Fingers did just that, putting in a lot of work to go bigger, incorporating fans, fire, more choreography and drama into their sleight of hand act. Yu Hojin said they had rehearsed 15 hours a day, six days a week in hopes of earning redemption. The magician previously competed solo on Season 17, and when Simon Cowell told him to go bigger, he listened, forming what he called a “magic supergroup.”

We’ll definitely be seeing these magicians again in the AGT finals. Hopefully Howie Mandel’s body will be fully recovered by then in case he has another unexpected reaction. In the meantime, tune in at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, August 19, on NBC to see which three incredible Season 21 acts are moving on to the semifinals.

The auditions have wrapped on America’s Got Talent, but with Simon Cowell and the gang saying “yes” to more acts than there are spots in the live shows, some tough decisions had to be made. Tuesday night’s episode on the 2026 TV schedule promised “Live Acts Revealed,” except that’s not exactly how things played out. Cowell decided to add a twist to Season 21 (he can do that, you know), and I love how very The Voice-esque it is.

Now, Terry Crews did get around to revealing some of the acts to make the live shows in America's Got Talent's July 28 episode, including Chicago’s Jesse White Tumbling Team, who tragically lost a member following their audition. In other cases, though — like with the magician who nearly had his act ruined by Simon Cowell — no consensus could be reached. So Cowell initiated the first ever AGT Callbacks.

Mel B, Sofía Vergara, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell himself all chose a handful of acts they want to see again. They’ll invite those people into their homes, offer advice and watch them perform again before choosing who will, in fact, move on to the live portion of Season 21.

The AGT Judges Are Forming Teams

OK, I am getting really strong vibes of The Voice here, and I can’t help but wonder if Simon Cowell is intentionally taking inspiration from its fellow NBC reality competition show. First of all, each America’s Got Talent judge picked a number of auditions that they personally liked — that sounds like choosing teams to me!

Simon, Mel B, Sofía And Howie Are Becoming Coaches

Also, never before have the judges worked with new acts such on a personal level. Sure, they’ll offer feedback and constructive criticism. Advise them on whether their next performance should be bigger or different in a specific way. Now, however, they’re going to work one-on-one with the contestants to hone the potential each judge saw during auditions.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call “coaching,” and The Voice is famous for casting superstar coaches, not judges.

AGT Is Adding Celebrity Mentors

Not only will the Callbacks allow the talented hopefuls to learn from the judges, they’re going to also get advice from celebrity mentors — a device used by both The Voice and Simon Cowell’s old stomping grounds, American Idol. Those famous faces include Normani, Poo Bear, Lele Pons, Sebastián Yatra, Emma Bunton and Nikki Glaser.

As a fan of The Voice, I think this is pretty exciting, and there’s extra intrigue with the Callbacks happening at each judge’s house. (I don’t see Kelly Clarkson opening her home up to artists on the singing competition, but I’d love to!) It looks like things get pretty dramatic, too, in a way that I’m not sure America’s Got Talent has ever seen.

There are plenty of details yet to be divulged, including how many contestants each judge gets to send to lives, or if the others will weigh in on their choices. But overall, I really like this twist and can’t wait to see how it plays out. America’s Got Talent continues with Callbacks at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, August 4, on NBC.

The Voice Season 30, meanwhile, premieres at 8 p.m. ET Monday, September 21, on NBC. Both series’ episodes can be streamed the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses the final night of auditions on America’s Got Talent Season 21. If you didn’t watch the July 21 episode, you can stream it with a Peacock subscription.

That’s a wrap on auditions for AGT’s 21st season, and while we've seen some incredible Golden Buzzer acts this season, they sure did save some of the best for last. The competition’s first round concluded Monday on the 2026 TV schedule, and in addition to a standup comic who wouldn’t quit and Pynk Beard’s country bop that had everybody on their feet, we met Maria. No one knew what to expect when the 18-year-old from Bavaria, Germany, took the stage, but her talent had me literally screaming.

Maria said she’d been watching America’s Got Talent all of her life, and she hoped to inspire others with her talent. Then the contortionist began to bend into shapes that shouldn’t be possible for a human body. This video is a must-watch:

Wow! Channel Zero's contortionist clown Pretzel Jack ain't got nothing on her! How were there no Golden Buzzers left for this astonishing act?

I am not exaggerating when I say I was screaming. At first I couldn’t wrap my head around how she was wrapping her head around and through her legs like that. Then when the box came out, a high-pitched, “NOOOOOO!” burst out of me. Despite the radiant smile on Maria’s face the whole time, I still have a hard time believing that wasn’t super painful.

Howie Mandel had a fun way of describing the teenager’s talent, telling her afterward:

Maria explained that when she was 10 was in a wheelchair for two years because inflammation on her spine had caused her to be paralyzed. When she regained movement, she said she was more flexible than before.

Mel B has fawned over some of the Season 21 acts so far, but she had trouble watching this one, covering her eyes and turning away as the contortionist twisted her head to sit below her entire torso. Simon Cowell, meanwhile, was thoroughly impressed, telling the 18-year-old:

Yes, it was definitely cool and quite a few other adjectives.

I can’t imagine that we won’t see Maria again in the live shows, but the competition is fierce. After the final audition, Terry Crews led Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Mel B and Howie Mandel into a room with cards showing every act they’d sent through. Cowell estimated there were around 100 of them, and the judges were tasked with finding just 34 to join the 10 Golden Buzzer winners who were already sent through.

We’ll find out next week who made the cut and who didn’t, but I’ll be surprised if anyone can get the same reaction out of me that Maria’s audition did. Tune in at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 28, on NBC to see the live acts revealed.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses the sixth night of auditions on America’s Got Talent Season 21. The episode is available to stream with a Peacock subscription July 15 if you need to catch up.

All of the Golden Buzzers for America’s Got Talent Season 21 are now accounted for, as Sofía Vergara awarded the 10th and final ticket to the live shows on Night 6 of auditions, which aired July 14 on the 2026 TV schedule. The judges were pretty heavy on the red X’s until Veronika Goroshkova stunned them with an aerial pole routine that even Simon Cowell admitted was “perfection.”

For her audition, Ukraine native Veronika Goroshkova asked the judges to move their chairs aside, as a long, metal pole dropped from the ceiling. The aerialist proceeded to swing around, climb, twist and stretch into incredible splits without a net or any safety device between her and the audience below. The act ended with a long slide down the pole that left everyone in the auditorium (and myself!) breathless.

Check out her stunts below:

When Veronika Goroshkova introduced herself to Simon Cowell and the gang, she mentioned that her dream was to compete in the Olympics someday, and it sounds like Cowell thinks she has the chops, as he told her:

Simon Cowell wasn’t the only one with gold on his mind, but Sofía Vergara attempted a fake-out before sending the confetti falling. She told the pole artist:

It was understandably a huge moment for Veronika Goroshkova and her mother, who’s also her coach. The aerialist has already performed with Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple, and next she’s headed for the live shows, where she’ll undoubtedly scare the heck out of the judges one more time.

Talking to the artist backstage, Sofía Vergara said:

The Golden Buzzer was well-deserved, in my opinion, but that means there will be no free tickets for the final night of AGT Season 21 auditions. The season started out strong with a whopping three Golden Buzzers in the premiere, and save for a few red buzzers along the way, the contestants never really took their foot off the gas.

Mel B fawned over a singer who we will be hearing from again, and Simon Cowell used a Golden Buzzer on a “bloody fantastic” parkour routine. Tragedy has also struck Season 21, however, as Jeff Williams, a member of Chicago’s Jesse White Tumbling Team, died in a car crash one night after his team’s auditions aired. No doubt the tumblers will be paying tribute to the 34-year-old when they perform again.

The final round of auditions kicks off at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 21, on NBC.

Spoiler alert! Acts from the July 7 episode of America’s Got Talent are discussed below. All Season 21 episodes can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

Simon Cowell looked as dashing as always in his America’s Got Talent uniform of a skin-tight black tee and tinted glasses, but who would have thought his red-tinted eyewear would cause such a kerfuffle as Season 21’s fifth night of auditions aired on the 2026 TV schedule? Suffice it to say I was shook — and so was Cowell — after one card trick Tuesday went off the rails.

Darrell Moten took the AGT stage as the second close-up magician of the evening, so Simon Cowell — who has used both of his Golden Buzzers — along with Sofía Vergara, Mel B, and Howie Mandel, really needed this act to be mindblowing. Moten asked Cowell to pull a card and not show anyone. He pulled the 5 of Hearts, but when the magician returned to the stage and showed him a 5 of Clubs, Cowell wrongly confirmed that was his card. Much confusion followed, as you can see below:

Simon Cowell seemed to feel awful after Darrell Moten said he messed up and left the stage. The judge felt responsible because his red-tinted lenses messed with his vision. He turned to the audience and said:

The vibe in the auditorium was super awkward, as a producer came out to say they were moving on, and Sofía Vergara expressed disbelief that it wasn’t all part of the act. Apparently it was, though, because Darrell Moten then appeared on the big screen in front of the judges, asking Simon Cowell to choose a color and number (he went with turquoise and 77), repeating his choices back to him before revealing that video had seemingly been prerecorded.

Darrell Moten then returned to the judges’ table to reveal the former American Idol judge’s correct card — the 5 of Hearts — in his pocket. Even after three of the four judges sent the magician through to the next round, though (Mel B was understandably confused and gave Moten a “no”), Cowell wasn’t over the snafu,

As Terry Crews interviewed the next performer backstage, Simon Cowell was still talking about his mistake with Sofía Vergara and a producer, saying:

Because even though the magician walking off the stage did end up being part of the show (I think?), Simon Cowell had still flubbed the trick by errantly confirming that Darrell Moten had the right card, and it was the Modern Family vet who had to set things right.

I’m kind of with Mel B on this one. I’m not quite sure how much of that trick played out the way it was supposed to — even down to Darrell Moten pulling a Turquoise 77 card from Terry Crews’ pocket afterward — but I guess both Moten and Simon Cowell will get another shot in the next round. Maybe Cowell will leave the glasses off for that one.

America’s Got Talent Season 21 auditions continue (possibly with more fawning from Mel B) next Tuesday, July 14, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Spoilers ahead for America’s Got Talent Season 21’s fourth night of auditions, which aired June 23. You can stream the episode with a Peacock subscription.

It was a night of surprises on America’s Got Talent, as the fourth round of auditions aired on the 2026 TV schedule. Simon Cowell and the rest of the judges started out saying they loved not knowing exactly where the acts were going, but that sentiment fell flat after three straight acts received the dreaded red X. Thankfully Rubén Roldán was there to save the night, and you’ve got to see the act that earned Simon Cowell’s second and final Golden Buzzer of the season.

Season 21 so far has had knife-throwers who had overcome significant trauma, singers who flummoxed Mel B and plenty of magic, singing and acts involving dogs. What we haven’t seen yet is parkour, and definitely not the way Rubén Roldán did it. The contestant stunned the judges by starting his act outside the theater, revealing just before he started that he had a prosthetic leg. The 23-year-old removed his prosthetic, shocking everyone watching from inside, and began jumping from stair rail to stair rail. You have to see this for yourself:

When the act was finished, there was the longest pause of astonishment before the entire crowd exploded in applause for the unbelievably impressive routine. And when I say that Rubén Roldán had everyone’s jaw on the ground, I literally mean Sofía Vergara and Simon Cowell's mouths were fully agape.

The contestant told the judges that he lived in the countryside and had lost his leg as a child in a tractor accident, and Simon Cowell couldn’t wait any longer to give him his flowers — or his pass to the live shows, rather, saying:

Cue the gold confetti, as Simon Cowell slammed down the Golden Buzzer, sending Rubén Roldán into a fit of celebration that had audience members in tears.

This was the veteran judge’s final Golden Buzzer to give out for Season 21, after he awarded his first to 14-year-old Lai Noelle in the season premiere for singing a rendition of Sienna Spiro’s “Die On This Hill.” Howie Mandel and Mel B have also used both of theirs already, with the former Spice Girl's second coming in this episode as well. Now just two Golden Buzzers remain, with Terry Crews and Sofía Vergara each giving out just one so far.

Given how often a Golden Buzzer winner goes on to win the entire competition, I’ll be excited to see who the final two acts are to get them. Tune in to find out, as new episodes air at 8 p.m. ET each Tuesday on NBC, available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Spoiler alert! This discusses acts from America’s Got Talent Season 21 premiere. Stream the episode with a Peacock subscription if you haven’t watched yet!

America’s Got Talent is back, and when Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel and Mel B (remember, no Heidi Klum anymore) took their spots behind the judges table for Season 21, they were itching to hit that Golden Buzzer. In fact, three deserving acts from the talent show’s 2026 TV premiere got sent straight to the live shows, but it was a couple of knife-throwers who I can’t stop thinking about after hearing the terrifying story of what they had to overcome to get there.

It’s not rare to see seemingly dangerous acts on America’s Got Talent, but the knife-throwing and crossbow-shooting that Tyrone and Margo did was especially scary because they were aiming at each other in motion. Margo had to dodge knives at an unbelievable speed, and afterward, Simon Cowell had to ask if anything had ever gone wrong during their stunts. Tyrone shocked everyone when he said it had:

Mel B. — who had a strong reaction to a Season 20 crossbow performance — and Sofia Vergara were rendered practically speechless, but the panel gave Margo credit for being brave enough to continue.

But is she OK now?, they wanted to know. Margo told them:

What a terrible thing for the husband-and-wife team to have gone through. It was difficult even to watch them tell the story, because you could see how emotional Margo got talking about it, and Tyrone looked heartbroken about what happened.

Tyrone’s concern was teased ahead of their act, when they were shown backstage. Margo asked her husband if he was nervous, and he said:

Oof, points for honesty, but moments before taking the America’s Got Talent stage is a pretty terrible time to lose your confidence. Hearing that story is going to make me even more nervous if they take the stage again, which is a strong possibility, because Tyrone and Margo received a “yes” vote from all four judges. You can check out their act below:

The AGT Judges Had Itchy Buzzer Fingers For The Premiere

It’s not rare that the AGT champion is one of the performers who received a Golden Buzzer during auditions, and the judges picked three great acts during its Season 21 premiere. Fourteen-year-old Lai Noelle stunned the judges (and me) with a gorgeous vocal performance. Her singing voice was so surprisingly different from her speaking voice that Simon Cowell couldn’t help but steal the Golden Buzzer moment from Sofia Vergara, who had told him she was going to hit it.

Then it was Terry Crews who beat her to the punch by hitting the buzzer for the Acro Crew, who incorporated dogs into their impressive tumbling routine. Finally, Howie Mandel hit the Golden Buzzer for rapper Luke Taleno, who manifested the moment by telling Simon Cowell a year ago as an audience member that he’d be back to get the Golden Buzzer.

America’s Got Talent is off to a strong start, so be sure to tune in for the next round of auditions at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 9, on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

American Idol has produced a number of famous contestants, such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and many, many more. Clay Aiken has also kept a steady music career since becoming the runner-up in the second season. He received some tough criticism during his Idol days, though, which he didn’t mind, and even though Simon Cowell called him ugly, he still thinks he’s a TV genius.

Clarkson may have forgotten who won the season after hers, but many people remember that Aiken came in second place, just behind Ruben Studdard. It’s known that judges during Idol’s early days, particularly Cowell, were pretty rude, making the competition as stiff as ever. The feedback these days is more constructive criticism where Underwood is concerned, but way back when, the critique wasn’t just about the singing. Aiken recalled to TV Insider how Cowell commented on his looks, and he didn’t even remember until just recently:

Considering it came from Cowell, it’s unfortunately not so surprising. The current America’s Got Talent judge was perhaps the scariest part about American Idol because you never knew what to expect with his feedback. And sometimes, he’d comment on much more than how you were sounding. However, there was apparently a very different side of Cowell that contestants ended up knowing that wasn’t really shown on camera:

It’s nice to know just what Cowell and the other judges were like behind the scenes and how supportive he was of all the contestants. He might have been scary and harsh with the feedback, but when it came to the backstage stuff, it was all love and support. Sometimes it can be hard to hear that honest feedback, but that’s what makes Cowell so great at it. He knows when to be harsh, he’s honest, and according to Aiken, that’s why he’s such a genius.

One of the most entertaining parts about American Idol’s early days was seeing Cowell get as harsh as possible with feedback, no matter how crushing it was for a contestant. The judges did not hold back, and Cowell was such a pain, according to Paula Abdul. Even though they’re not as severe these days, the harshness is definitely still there. Underwood, who won Season 4, has been a judge for two seasons now and doesn’t mind being booed because all she’s doing is motivating the contestants. There doesn’t seem to be any hard feelings between Aiken and Cowell, which is good, and I bet the same can be said for others who worked with the judge.

I would love it if Aiken and Cowell were to cross paths again, whether on America’s Got Talent or somewhere else, just to see what Cowell would say about him now. At the very least, Aiken returned to his stomping grounds, performing his new single “Rewind” towards the end of the latest season.

Simon Cowell’s blunt honestly continued to make its way to your 2025 TV schedule. Not only did he wrap up judging season 20 of America’s Got Talent with Jessica Sanchez crowned champion, but his 2025 Netflix release of Simon Cowell: The Next Act had him finding the next talented boy band. With Cowell never failing to deliver his unapologetic criticism, would he do the same for his son, Eric, if he had a bad singing audition? In his trademark fashion, the British judge shared his four-worded answer.

Back in 2023, Simon Cowell said he could see his son auditioning for Britain’s Got Talent as he has dreamed of being a singing drummer. In his recent interview with Rolling Stone, the longtime television personality got real on how he’d judge Eric if he gave a bad singing audition. Here would be his sharp four-worded response to the publication:

No, he wouldn’t. Cowell may have been called a “Grinch” on AGT before, and some have reported problems with his criticism, but we all know that the former American Idol judge will never hold back. It’s clear that Cowell is a firm believer in never sugarcoating feedback if it’ll help someone improve. So, why shouldn’t the same be said even with family?

With Simon Cowell’s signature trademark being his brutal honesty, you wonder if he ever thought he went too far with some of his criticisms. The former X Factor judge, of course, didn’t mince words on standing by his reviews… for the most part anyway:

I can understand the judging legend’s perspective. While there may be moments of regret in how you say something, you can still stand by the context. You don’t want to tell someone they can sing if they’re off-key. Otherwise, Cowell would be doing a disservice as a judge if he let everyone who auditioned pass.

While there may have been people offended by Simon Cowell’s critiques, there have been plenty who appreciated the honesty. For example, after Cowell called Korean Soul’s song choice “predictable” on AGT, singer Sooyong Yoon said he understood and used it as motivation for their next song to reflect the group’s harmony. Even American Idol alum Clay Aiken said he appreciated the criticism he received to better improve himself. So, I’d like to believe Eric would value his father’s judgment in knowing it’s coming from a good place.

Now we know that even with his own son, Simon Cowell refuses to hold back his honesty if he gives a bad audition. But we need to remind ourselves that constructive criticism is what we need in order to grow. If Eric still has dreams of being in a rock band, I’m sure he’ll thank his dad in the long run for helping him get there, as he did for many others. Make sure to watch Simon Cowell: The Next Act streaming via Netflix subscription.

Simon Cowell has spent plenty of time in the spotlight on the American side of the pond, with the Brit making a name for himself in the early years of American Idol as the judge who didn't mince words. More recently, he's been sitting behind a table on America's Got Talent, and his highest-profile gigs have left some with a surprising impression: they think he doesn't walk after all that time in a chair. He cleared the air in a pretty entertaining way shortly after the release of his new docuseries in the 2025 TV schedule, available now with a Netflix subscription.

The X Factor creator candidly spoke with The Sun's Clemmie Moodie, and he addressed the rumors that he doesn't walk. The buzz started after he was spotted striding down a hallway, and Cowell described the reactions as "so crazy." He went on:

I can't say that certain fans suspecting that Simon Cowell doesn't walk is as wild as the rumors that Lea Michele can't read, and regular viewers of America's Got Talent can spot him on his feet for everything from standing ovations to participating in the occasional crossbow act.

Still, as he noted, he does spend most of his time on camera sitting behind a desk and pressing buttons (and sometimes golden buzzers), and the commentary about his bike accident faded away pretty quickly. Cowell did go on to confirm one suspicion that fans have about him, however, saying this:

Simon Cowell doesn't always stand on the job, but when he does, he's probably looking an inch taller than his actual height! He recently revealed more of his unseated life in Netflix's Simon Cowell: The Next Act docuseries, which runs for six episodes after premiering back on December 10. Take a look at how he credited The Next Act for showing more of him than can be seen behind a desk:

Simon Cowell: The Next Act initially seemed like competition for American Idol and The Voice, although it hasn't earned enough viewers to crack into Netflix's Top 10 TV Shows in the U.S. That list is still dominated by Sean Combs: The Reckoning, which premiered more than a week before Cowell's docuseries and is the show that dethroned Stranger Things from the #1 spot. (Stranger Things is now at #3 after Rowan Atkinson's Man vs. Baby.)

It remains to be seen if Simon Cowell: The Next Act will return for another season on Netflix, whether to restart his journey to find the next hit boy band or continue working with the performers he discovered the first time around. One thing is certain: if there is more of The Next Act on the way, Cowell will probably be getting his steps in rather than only sitting behind a desk.

American Idol will mark its 24^th overall season during the 2026 TV schedule, while The Voice is wrapping up its 28^th season amid the 2025 TV schedule. For years, fans have been able to root for their favorite aspiring singers on a number of singing competition shows However, with a handful of artists using social media as a stepping stone instead of TV, some viewers may be surprised that artists are still trying to emerge by way of the small screen. Now, Simon Cowell is sharing his take on this.

Cowell knows all too well what it takes to make it big on TV. He’s judged and produced a host of singing competition shows, including American Idol, and also created, judged, and produced The X Factor UK. He's also behind the Got Talent franchise, which has various international spinoffs and offshoots. With a handful of outlets for people to get their start on TV, Cowell acknowledged to Page Six that more people are gradually trying to make it big online, but he’s not so sure how it will work out for them:

Of course, a lot of popular artists that have been discovered online but, in reality, it doesn't seem to happen as often as people might think. Simon Cowell does make a good point in that a lot of singers upload videos of themselves online in the hopes of being discovered and, in many cases, their videos are buried underneath hundreds of thousands of other clips of people trying to do the same thing. So what does Cowell think is the best course of action for artists trying to make it to the big leagues? Here's what he said:

Even if someone only makes it to the audition phase of a show, that still could provide sheer exposure for a singer. After all, shows like American Idol and The Voice are viewed seen by millions of people. That being said, even being on those shows doesn’t always help a person's career, but I still can't say I blame Cowell for believing aspiring singers have more a chance on TV than on the Internet. Heck, even Brian Littrell's own son was on Idol.

Some of American Idol’s most famous contestants include Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks, Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry, just to name a few. Other successful artists that have made it big, thanks to a singing competition series are One Direction, Little Mix, Fifth Harmony, Carly Rae Jepsen, Melanie Martinez and Cher Lloyd. So the proof is in the pudding.

It's likely that for the foreseeable future, there will be people who prefer trying to make it big via social media rather than on TV and vice versa. Of course, despite Simon Cowell's take, that doesn’t necessarily mean one method is worse than the other. As previously mentioned, many artists have become successful by starting out online, such as Justin Bieber, Troye Sivan, Shawn Mendes, Tori Kelly and Billie Eilish. So just about anything seems possible in this music landscape.

Years after becoming a pop culture staple due to his role as a judge on American Idol, Simon Cowell is still booked and busy. Considering how frequently Cowell's work is discussed, it's also a novelty whenever we get to hear him talk about his personal life. Yet I wasn't expect to learn Cowell once planned to preserve himself by having his body frozen. He put the kibosh on that, though, when he learned they could “chop your head off.”

It's definitely not uncommon for people to be cryogenically frozen in sci-fi movies and TV shows, though real life is another story There was, of course, the bizarre fact about Walt Disney supposedly being frozen after he died (which turned out to be just a wild rumor). Simon Cowell spoke about his own experience with freezing while talking with The New York Times interview. I'm honestly not sure what surprised me more with this interview -- Cowell's initial desire to be frozen or the reason he backed out:

Yeah, that sounds very Terminator-like, and I don’t blame the man for changing his mind. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, there are actually two ways to be cryogenically preserved. A person can either have your entire body frozen or do neuropreservation, in which only the head is saved in order to preserve personalities into new bodies grown from stem cells. It all still sounds like something straight out of one of the best science-fiction movies, and I’m surprised all of this can be a reality.

Even though Simon Cowell’s post-mortem plans no longer involve being cryogenically frozen, he still told The NY Times about his faith making him optimistic about what comes next. Here’s his explanation:

I see where the TV personality is coming from. What he seems to be saying is that when a person trusts that there’s something good beyond this lifetime, they can be provided with a sense of relief. Quite frankly, to me, that sounds like a better prospect than decapitation.

Of course, Simon Cowell doesn't seem to be dwelling to heavily on death as he remains busy in the entertainment industry. His honest critiques of performers have still been dished out amid the 2025 TV schedule, given his status as long-running judge on America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent. Also, he's about to mark the debut of his 2025 Netflix release, The Next Act, which is a docuseries about him trying to find the next big boy band. As Cowell was the man responsible for signing One Direction after their X Factor audition, I can’t wait to see what kind of talent he's able to spot now.

While it would appear that Cowell won't be cryogenically frozen after his death, I'd like to think that he'll live on in other ways due to his excellent work. And, of course, he also has a legacy in his 11-year-old son, Eric. So, all in all, I think we can put this discussion on ice. (Pun completely intended.)

Check out Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which will available to stream with a Netflix subscription starting on December 10th.

Britney Spears may be retired from her pop music career now, but after reaching such iconic levels of fame, there was a time when she wanted to help others do the same. In 2012 she joined The X Factor as a judge alongside Simon Cowell, but she only lasted one season, writing in her memoir that she "absolutely hated” being on the show. Cowell has now spoken out about why he thinks she had a bad experience.

Why Britney Spears Said She ‘Hated’ Her Time On The X Factor

In 2023, Britney Spears made some wild revelations in The Woman in Me, spilling the tea about her family, the constraints of her conservatorship and her Y2K romance and breakup with Justin Timberlake. One topic she tackled was The X Factor, where she joined creator Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and Demi Lovato on the judging panel.

She wrote that while people like Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani thrived when the cameras were on them, she no longer had the same comfort that she did when she was younger, and she got “very, very nervous” on days when they were filming. Her memoir reads (via the New York Post):

Simon Cowell, seemingly unaware of these comments, spoke to some of these same issues when he discussed Britney Spears with the New York Times.

Simon Cowell Says Britney Spears ‘Wasn’t Happy’ On The Singing Competition

It’s a shame that The X Factor ended up being a bad experience for Britney Spears, because according to the America’s Got Talent judge, she was the one who reached out to him about joining the panel. According to Simon Cowell:

The record executive scheduled a second call to make sure their productive conversation hadn’t been “a fluke,” but it was the opposite. He said their next meeting was “even better,” and he was blown away by how smart and friendly she was. However, things took a turn when they started auditioning artists for The X Factor Season 2. Cowell continued:

I think every artist who’s appeared as a judge or coach on a singing competition has experienced the agony of rejecting hopeful contestants. Carrie Underwood struggled with it when she returned to American Idol, and the whole reason Ariana Grande won’t return to The Voice is because she got too attached to her team members.

Simon Cowell understood that as well, but said he explained to Britney Spears that they simply couldn’t put everybody through to the next round. If she really didn’t want to do the job, he said he’d get her out of it. They talked for hours about it outside of the show, as he said:

When Britney Spears’ comment about how she “absolutely hated” being on the show was brought up, Simon Cowell responded as if he didn’t know she’d written that, saying, “Did she?” and then:

The “... Baby One More Time” artist may not have fond memories of her time on the Fox reality competition show, but Simon Cowell’s opinion of her hasn’t changed. In fact, back in 2023 when it looked like the OG American Idol judge might revive The X Factor, Britney Spears was his first choice to join him at the judges’ table.

Simon Cowell knows talent when he sees it, and it’s not hard to see why he’s insistent that Britney’s star quality, choreography, styling, song choice and knowledge of the business are exactly the qualities that would make her valuable to up-and-comers.

Unfortunately it doesn't sound like a role that she would consider going back to.

ABC’s version of American Idol is worlds away from what it was like in the beginning, with the trio of current judges never coming anywhere near to the revulsion and other over-the-top reactions from OG mainstay Simon Cowell. Of course, the producer’s frank and unbridled comments were a big part of what made the show such a gobsmacking hit during its early years, even if fellow judges like Paula Abdul thought he was a pain. But despite viewers blaming him at the time for Jennifer Hudson’s shocking elimination, he stands by his innocence, as it were.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about his exciting new show Simon Cowell: The Next Act, which dropped its first trailer recently and became a seeming threat to the likes of other talent-showcasing shows like Idol and The Voice. When asked if Hudson’s infamous vote-off came across as a problem with the process, Cowell said the issue didn’t involve anything behind the scenes, but what was on the screen. He explained:

That early on in the lifespan of reality TV singing competitions, without social media playing into it, a contestant's song choice definitely had a bigger potential to impact an outcome. So while we'll never truly know how far Hudson would have gone in Season 3 had she not made Barry Manilow's, "Weekend in New England" her song choice, Simon Cowell seems pretty convinced that she would have moved on beyond the Top 7.

I have to think that she still could landed the Dreamgirls role even if she'd been eliminated in successive weeks, or even won out entirely, since it was well over a year later when the casting wasn't announced. But regardless, no one can argue that both Idol and Dreamgirls were huge milestones in her wildly successful career that led to her become one of the few rarefied EGOT winners.

What was argued, at least around the time of American Idol's third season, was that Cowell was somehow to blame for Hudson being voted off, even though the show's trio didn't actually do the voting. He continued:

Sure, any of Cowell's harsh on-screen comments could sway those voting at home at any point, but it'd be patently impossible to prove him culpable for Hudson's elimination. Unless someone discovered he had a home gymnasium full of sentient monkeys and robots calling in votes for the other contestants. But that seems...unlikely.

Simon Cowell has been lending his skills-seeking expertise to the NBC staple America's Got Talent, but as mentioned above, will soon debut a brand new series within that subgenre. Check out the trailer below!

Wil Jennifer Hudson pop up on Cowell's new show the way he appeared on her talk show for their first in-person chat in 18 years? Probably not, but find out when Simon Cowell: The Next Act begins streaming via Netflix subscription on Wednesday, December 10.

Simon Cowell earned notoriety during the early aughts for sharing his harsh feedback on American Idol. Yet the media personality has sustained a successful presence within the reality competition circuit. Now, he’s taking a moment to reminisce about Idol's first season on Fox (which aired in 2002) as well as its breakout star, Kelly Clarkson. Cowell also explained how Clarkson’s star power -- and her likeability factors -- helped the show avoid flopping.

Ahead of the release of his upcoming Netflix show, The Next Act (for which a trailer was recently released), Cowell chatted with Rolling Stone about the various competition shows he's been a part of. Naturally, American Idol, the small-screen juggernaut that kicked off the singing competition show craze, came up. With that, Clarkson's victory during that inaugural season was also mentioned. All in all, Cowell, seems to have positive feelings about how Clarkson closed out Season 1, saying:

I 100% agree with his feelings about the OG American Idol winner, and I feel that Tamara Gray could've given her a run for her money. And, while she didn't enter the competition until Season 3, Jennifer Hudson also could've given Clarkson some competition. (If you couldn’t guess, I was watching in real time and was devastated when Gray and Hudson were booted in their respective seasons.) Ultimately, though, the “Stronger” singer’s historic reality show moment was just the beginning of a career that would be marked by multiple hit albums, a Vegas residency and even a nationally syndicated talk show.

Kelly Clarkson's iconic win was also huge for the success of American Idol. Simon Cowell seemed to be confident, in some ways, about the show's potential to dominate in the ratings. However, that was far from a certainty for the series, which was also featured Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson as judges. When talking about his headspace, Cowell said:

Again, his assessment, to me, is spot on, as Clarkson was just a young woman going about her business in Texas. But, even with that shimmer of hope, the margin of error was huge, given that televised talent competitions hadn’t blended with reality shows in a fuller capacity at that point. At that point, series like Survivor and The Bachelor were on the reality competition scene alongside MTV’s offbeat offerings. Star Search already existed, but that show had been off the air for years by the time Idol arrived.

Obviously, since Kelly Clarkson won that first year, American Idol has had its fair shares of ups and downs. Other shows offering similarly exciting fare also entered the arena and shifted the paradigm, so to speak. Also, even years in, Abdul left the show, Cowell left soon after, and Jackson called it quits just shy of the 15th Season, with Ryan Seacrest remaining as host throughout the entire run . Eventually, Fox canceled the show in 2016, but it gained new life in 2018 when ABC picked it up for more episodes.

Even though it's been over two decades since Cowell and co. crowned Clarkson the first American Idol, the show remains a pop culture staple. And, quite frankly, I love to see it.

American Idol is set to return to ABC amid the 2026 TV schedule. In the meantime, stream episodes of the show using a Hulu subscription.

Simon Cowell is a household name in reality television, so I was shocked to learn about this late entry he has for the 2025 TV schedule. The former American Idol and current America's Got Talent judge is getting back into music, and it looks like he's trying to find the next One Direction with The Next Act.

Those with a Netflix subscription need to set their calendars for December 10th, because the premiere of Simon Cowell: The Next Act looks like it could give both American Idol and The Voice a run for their money. I'm going to have to make time between watching the best Christmas movies, because this feels like can't-miss television.

Simon Cowell: The Next Act Gets The Producer Back To What He Does Best

Simon Cowell: The Next Act is an upcoming Netflix show that will chronicle his quest to find the next boy band. The series will feature raw auditions from applicants, the formation of a band, and lead all the way up to the release of their first single. It seems like we'll get to know each member, and the trailer has some real Making The Band vibes.

It also seems like we're going to see a lot of Cowell behind the scenes and a look into his personal life. The judge who first gained notoriety for his harsh behavior on American Idol has been in the spotlight a lot, but I can't say I know a ton about his private life outside of that devastating bike accident he had a while back. It'll be cool to see more of his life, though, even if it is a sanitized version for a television audience.

I'm Way More Excited For This Than I Am The Voice Or American Idol

The Voice and American Idol are network television staples, and while they still draw eyes and get fans excited about the winners they choose, I've fallen off in recent years. I've grown tired of tuning in and getting emotionally invested in singers who ultimately go nowhere in Hollywood a couple of years later.

Simon Cowell: The Next Act has me hoping this won't be the case. After all, Cowell gave us One Direction, whose members, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, have all led respectful solo careers. Sure, one of those names is way more prominent than the rest, but that always seems to be the case when it comes to boy bands.

If this new Netflix docuseries can lead to one of these talented young men becoming half as successful as Harry Styles, it'll have done more than The Voice and American Idol have done in a decade. Plus, the popularity of K-pop has really brought a resurgence in the boy band and girl group era, and as a '90s kid, I'm totally here for it.

We'll see if others agree, and how many people are talking about Simon Cowell: The Next Act when it drops on Netflix on December 10th. Stick with CinemaBlend as we continue to cover television and movies during the holiday season, and all the things readers might've missed in between.

As America’s Got Talent continues to air on the 2025 TV schedule, Simon Cowell remains a fan-favorite judge, offering plenty of encouragement and compassion to contestants, in addition to his blunt critiques. He’s even called out producers for being “very mean” to the Season 20 contestants. How the tables have turned! Back in the early days of American Idol, Cowell was known for his rudeness, and fellow OG judge Paula Abdul had a pretty specific way of dealing with him.

Paula Abdul paid a visit to The Jennifer Hudson Show, reuniting with the EGOT winner years after J-Hud (shockingly) finished in seventh place on American Idol Season 3. The Dreamgirls actress told the audience that Abdul was definitely the “nice” judge back then, when she sat alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Hudson said she gave the contestants gifts and offered encouragement, calling her the “softest” of the trio, to which Abdul replied:

Ah, Simon Cowell. He and Paula Abdul definitely did not see eye to eye for much of the first eight seasons, before the “Straight Up” singer left American Idol. They went at each other on camera and under the table, apparently, as Abdul revealed:

Jennifer Hudson agreed that in her experience, Simon Cowell “wasn’t too nice” back then, but he’s been a guest on her talk show — he was actually her very first guest back when The Jennifer Hudson Show premiered in 2022 — and she noted that he’s “so mellow” now.

Paula Abdul thinks that becoming a dad in 2014 changed him, but she qualified that by saying:

While it’s kind of amusing to think of Paula Abdul having that Chihuahua energy on American Idol (it’s not an unfair comparison), Simon Cowell actually treating her like a dog or calling to her by affecting a high-pitched voice and patting his lap is pretty obnoxious. I daresay he deserved those spikey kicks.

Simon Cowell left American Idol in 2010, one season after Paula Abdul did. He went on to host the American version of The X-Factor from 2011 until its cancellation in 2013, and then he landed on the show where we can find him today — America’s Got Talent.

American Idol has moved from Fox to ABC since Simon Cowell’s time but still remains on the air. The show has seen a bit of a judging table switch-up lately, with Katy Perry exiting after Season 22, and Carrie Underwood replacing her as a judge 20 years after winning Season 4. There’s no official word on who’s coming back for Season 24, but there are rumors that Underwood may be leaving.

Still, don’t count on seeing one particular OG judge return to his stomping grounds: Simon Cowell has said he would likely never return to American Idol. Instead you can catch him on AGT, which airs at 8 p.m. ET Tuesdays and Wednesdays on NBC.

Warning: spoilers ahead for the first night of America's Got Talent's Season 20 quarterfinals results on August 20, available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.

America's Got Talent has entered the live portion of Season 20 in the 2025 TV schedule, and the first live results episode eliminated seven acts who had made it past the auditions round, with three others voted into the semifinals. The night opened with a live performance of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard, and the first half hour of the episode was pretty standard for an AGT results episode, but it wouldn't stay that way.

Dance group Loco Pop Familia and singing trio CitiLimitz were brought onto stage with the expectation that one of them would be announced as staying in the competition. Host Terry Crews said "Let's find out who's staying in the competition!" before 28 seconds of silence. (Yes, I timed it.) Then, the host pulled the rug out from under the performers with the worst kind of AGT news: none of them were in the Top 5 with a shot at the grand prize.

Now, it's of course normal for AGT to ramp up the suspense before announcing an elimination, and I really only had a complaint about it in the Season 19 finale when Richard Goodall barely had time to celebrate his win. But when Simon Cowell openly said that the trick was just "mean," I immediately agreed with him, and it seemed that everybody else in the venue did as well. Here's what Cowell said in response to the double elimination:

Off camera, Mel B said "I feel bad," and Sofia Vergara could be heard asking, "What happened?" The audience started booing, and I think that might be the first time this season that the crowd has booed that hard to agree with Simon Cowell. I do appreciate that he specifically noted that the producers were the "very mean" ones in the scenario. Terry Crews may have dropped the news as host of the show, but it surely wasn't his call to format the episode this way.

I'm not sure how much of Simon Cowell's commentary actually reached the contestants, as the members of Loco Pop Familia and CitiLimitz all looked shell-shocked and on the verge of tears. Normally, I would have just felt bad for performers who have their devastation broadcast on live TV, but I was glad for the live production this time.

There was no time for producers to potentially edit out Simon Cowell's reaction or mute out the reactions from Mel B and Sofia Vergara, which were loud enough to be heard off-screen. The boos from the audience were pretty booming as well. I don't know that AGT would have cut the sequence down to look a little less mean, but I do know that it couldn't happen for a live broadcast.

I can't speak for anybody else, but seeing this pretty dirty trick halfway through the episode really took me out of the festivities for the second half. I'd been having fun watching the first 30 minutes or so, with some great performers learning they'd made the Top 5 and Def Leppard's performance proving to me that I've been singing along to the wrong lyrics for "Pour Some Sugar On Me" for many, many years. (Don't ask me what I'd always thought Def Leppard was singing in the "little miss innocent" line, because I wasn't even close.)

Whatever the goal was with the bait and switch on Loco Pop Familia and CitiLimitz, I hope that Simon Cowell's reaction as well as a room full of booing audience members will be enough to dissuade producers from pulling this trick again in future live results shows.

The competition certainly still has a ways to go before America votes in the next winner of the $1 million and Las Vegas stage show grand prize. The semifinalists from Week 1 are LightWire, Sirca Marea, and Jourdan Blue, as well as Steve Ray Ladson after he got the golden buzzer from Sofia Vergara the previous night. New episodes of America's Got Talent will continue airing on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET, followed by results shows on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET, all on NBC. .

The sixth episode of America's Got Talent's milestone 20th season in the 2025 TV schedule featured the returns of familiar faces, ranging from singer Austin Brown shortly after his first audition to Yuriyan Retriever making her bold but unsuccessful comeback after her Season 14 debut. The one who hooked me from the very start, however, was Anna Saranina, who previously appeared on AGT in Season 11 as half of a knife-throwing duo with her then-husband. She came back solo to wield crossbows and show off trick shots on stage, and words really can't fully convey the tension of watching her act.

Judge Simon Cowell, as is his wont, had some critiques for the performer who had once dazzled on AGT as part of the Deadly Games duo, but had to change his tune after being on the other side of one of her weapons. While his responses on stage were pretty funny, I continue to love how he and Mel B have reacted to each other this season. Take a look:

Personally, I was more wowed by Anna Saranina catching a crossbow bolt mid-flight than anything else in her act (and don't even want to know if it was a trick of the camera), but the clip from Simon Cowell's critiques onward is worth a rewatch. After Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofia Vergara heaped praise on Anna, Simon opined that "this is very slow." Boos echoed from the audience even as he asked where she would go next with her crossbow act as a solo competitor, and she responded with the game-changing question: "You wanna try?"

At first, none of the other judges seemed to even take the invitation seriously, but he didn't decline before the audience started chanting his name, leading Mel B to almost literally facepalm when he jogged up to join Anna on stage anyway. She followed up by asking if he has a "death wish," which... obviously an AGT episode wasn't going to open with Simon Cowell being shot in a sensitive area with a crossbow bolt, but I can see why Mel B would ask the question in the moment!

And I just loved how the former Spice Girl switched back and forth between jokingly encouraging him and seeming to genuinely fear that he made a very bad decision in taking the stage. She was the first of the other three judges to stand up to give Anna Saranina an ovation, and the performer ultimately got a yes from all four of them.

Considering that I was on the fence about how successful AGT would be paired with Destination X for its first season without Heidi Klum since Season 15 in 2020, the revamped team of judges this summer has been a fun surprise. After all, Klum was already a vet when it came to sharing a judges' table with Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel, and I was a fan of the friendship she demonstrated on stage with Sofia Vergara.

But Mel's banter with Cowell in Season 20 so far has been more along the lines of the Spice Girls joke from AGT: Fantasy League than when she walked off the AGT set after a harsh joke from Cowell in 2017. Her commentary on Simon agreeing to stand in front of a crossbow-wielding competitor was just more of what I love from this duo. For more from them as well as Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara, keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET or stream next day with a Peacock subscription.

Spoilers ahead for the June 17 episode of America's Got Talent, available streaming now with a Peacock subscription.

The milestone 20th season of America's Got Talent is only four episodes into the 2025 TV schedule, but the judges haven't wasted any time in hitting the golden buzzer. Golden buzzers are fun ways to spice up episodes, but I for one don't always love the way that the judges dole them out. In the most recent episode, however, host Terry Crews quite literally snuck up on the panel comprised of Howie Mandel, Mel B, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell to advance a pretty delightful act to the live shows, and I loved it both for the choice he made and the fact that he beat out Simon.

It was clear even before the The Funkateers took the stage that Terry Crews had taken a shine to them when they met behind the scenes. The four lifelong friends came to AGT from Detroit, and Crews regularly shows love to performers who hail from his home state of Michigan. Who can forget when he hit the golden buzzer for the Detroit Youth Choir back in Season 14? That said, a BTS connection doesn't mean an act is guaranteed for advancement, and I wasn't sure that the judges would advance the Funkateers even while the friends were delighting the audience with their performance.

Personally, I was loving their performance so much that before they were even finished, I was thinking back on how I always felt I would handle having a golden buzzer, which has never matched what the judges do. The judges generally hit the buzzer for performers who would definitely be advanced anyway after impressing everybody on the panel; I always thought it would be more fun if the judges hit the buzzer for a personal favorite who wouldn't be guaranteed a future on AGT if not for the special honor.

Considering that the judges have high expectations for dance acts and Mel B has been a harsh critic since returning to AGT in the Season 20 premiere, I just wasn't confident that The Funkateers would get another chance in the running for the $1 million and Las Vegas stage show. They needed a golden buzzer, as far as I was concerned, to guarantee their future. Take a look and see why I was crossing my fingers for the four men to achieve the dream that's been 45 years in the making!

Well, it turns out that I was worried about judges being overly critical of The Funkateers for nothing, because both Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell declared that it was a "perfect" audition, Howie Mandel said that it was even better that they performed it at a later stage in life, and Mel B was smiling as big as anybody. But Terry Crews delivered a golden buzzer anyway, and I loved it. Not only did he sneak up behind the judges to make the gold confetti fall, but he managed to get the edge on Simon before he could hit the buzzer himself. What's not to love?

How far the show has come since being essentially "dead" in the earliest days! Honestly, The Funkateers have to be my favorite golden buzzer winners of Season 20 so far, and I'm pumped to know that the four men will be back at least one more time on the AGT stage. The competition in the live shows will undoubtedly be stiff, though, and there are still more golden buzzers that have not yet been hit. Keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for the latest episodes of America's Got Talent Season 20, ahead of the first season of Jeffrey Dean Morgan's slightly confusing Destination X.

America's Got Talent is back in the 2025 TV schedule, and the premiere of the milestone Season 20 got off to a bizarre, creamed corn-chugging start before going on to a pair of golden buzzers. Fans don't have to wait until the next new episode to catch a look at another hopeful performer in the running for $1 million. AGT released a video of a son teaming up with his mom for a cover of Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," and Simon Cowell had the most predictable but also most entertaining reaction.

An upcoming episode of Season 20 welcomes 23-year-old Cole Swensen and his mom Judy. It turns out that he didn’t just bring her along for moral support, and the result was a performance that even people who don’t like Coldplay may just love. Take a look:

Talk about a full room full of supporters! Everybody in the audience seemed to agree that Cole Swensen’s performance was worthy of the AGT stage, and his mom even got a “Judy! Judy! Judy!” chant when it initially seemed like Simon Cowell was the one and only judge who didn’t like that Cole brought his mom on stage.

Mel B, who was one of the harsher judges of the premiere, only had good things to say, and Howie Mandel paid a particularly nice compliment since he’s a fan of the original song. For Sofia Vergara, it “was amazing to see a family come together and the love that you guys have between each other.”

So why was Simon the holdout? Well, if you’d never watched America’s Got Talent before, you might have understandably believed that Simon Cowell thought the performance would have been a “really good audition” if Cole had done it on his own. As usual when the American Idol alum starts doling out criticism, the audience began to boo, but he stuck to his guns…

Until the reveal that he thought “it was a great audition” with Cole’s mom participating on her cello, earning lots of cheers and big smiles of relief from mother and son. Cowell has had the habit of delivering bait-and-switch feedback for as long as I’ve been watching him on AGT, and all signs pointed toward him revealing that he actually loved the song. But just because I saw it coming doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it!

Even though I had a pretty good feeling that Simon was going to elevate his evaluation beyond “good,” Cole and Judy up on the stage in front of thousands of people, with bright stage lights shining down on them, in front of four celebrity judges, with his dream on the line? Of course they’d feel every bit of the disappointment of getting disapproval from Simon, only for the elation of getting his praise.

All in all, maybe I’m just a sucker for the tried and true habits of the various judges on AGT. Simon Cowell certainly deserves credit for the show, even if not everybody enjoys the bait and switch. He recently revealed how he had to lie to NBC execs to get America’s Got Talent made in the first place.

See more acts – and probably golden buzzer winners soon, since Cole and his mom didn’t get one – with new episodes of AGT on NBC Tuesdays starting at 8 p.m. ET. You can also catch the latest episodes streaming with a Peacock subscription next day.

America's Got Talent has been going strong on NBC since 2006, and the competition is set to be a summer staple yet again in the 2025 TV schedule. Season 20 got off to an eventful start, with former judge Mel B coming back, a pair of golden buzzers, and enough incredible performances to make up for the man whose talent was chugging pickle juice, creamed corn, and more. Judge Simon Cowell, who also created AGT, reflected on the very humble beginnings of the show, and it turns out that fans have a little white lie to thank for twenty seasons of action.

Cowell spoke with People about how America's Got Talent got that series order in the first place all those years ago, and he 'fessed up to a fib that paid off in a big way. He shared:

Who else really, really, really wants to see the original pilot for America's Got Talent now?! I imagine that it would be hard to produce a truly great pilot for a show that needs a full season to pay off on the biggest and best performances. Apparently, the first try at AGT was a flop compared to what the show would become.

Simon Cowell went on to share that there were only "seven minutes of this pilot" that were "just about watchable," and that was enough for him with the right amount of spin when NBC called. The former American Idol judge recalled:

If ever there was a time to publicly come clean about the little lie about AGT, I'd say it would be while celebrating the milestone 20th season! Simon Cowell has certainly gotten candid before, and even faced a serious health issue in the public eye. (That crisis wouldn't be mocked by Howie Mandel on AGT until later.) Now is certainly a time to look back on all of AGT's wins over the year.

Those wins haven't been restricted to the original show earning renewal after renewal. Several spinoffs have already been produced for NBC alone, including AGT: The Champions, AGT: Extreme, AGT: All-Stars, and AGT: Fantasy League. That's not to mention the international spinoffs, including Britain's Got Talent and Australia's Got Talent.

For now, fans can tune in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for America's Got Talent Season 20, or stream new episodes next day with a Peacock subscription. Terry Crews returned as host, and the latest slate of judges includes Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Mel B alongside Simon Cowell. The judges don't know much about the performers before they take the stage, so their reactions are evidently as genuine as the rest of the audience.

America’s Got Talent’s highly-anticipated Season 20 officially arrived on the 2025 TV schedule on Tuesday. But before each act can hit the stage, they have to go through a rigorous casting process to get there. When CinemaBlend attended the open call auditions in Pasadena, California a couple of months ago, we learned how the judges connect to the process.

It was a blast to tune in with our live blog of the premiere earlier this week, where we saw everything from a guy chugging jars of pickle juice and hot sauce to a breathtaking light, tech, and dance show that earned the first Golden Buzzer of the season and had Simon Cowell in awe. But how do Cowell, Mel B, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara affect who’s chosen to be on stage? Here’s what casting producer Meg MacGregor told us:

Considering the four judges have to watch a lot of acts and react to them on television, I figured they might give the casting producers some notes when choosing the acts. However, the judges want to be as surprised as we are! MacGregor has been pivotal to the casting of America’s Got Talent for eighteen seasons, so she has a lot of experience on the subject. As she continued:

It sounds like it can be all about personality and bringing something that will get a reaction out of the judges. It definitely seems like those who have touching stories and really put their heart and soul into their acts also get pulled through, such as the magician in Texas who connected his act with giving a present to his daughter or 23-year-old Jordan Blue getting a Golden Buzzer after touching the judges with his backstory and amazing singing voice, and then bringing in his girlfriend and newborn on stage after the big moment.

Elsewhere in our interview, MacGregor talked about looking for really “confident, genuine people” who can “hold their own” on stage, and we saw a lot of that during the premiere on Tuesday.

Season 20 follows “the singing janitor” Richard Goodall winning last season after warming the hearts of America with his amazing singing voice and charm. When we spoke to Goodall after his win, he said he hoped his victory would inspire more people that “anybody can try out”, and make it to the finale. We can’t wait to watch more contestants take the stage, surprise us and the judges as the season continues on NBC this summer.

It’s been nearly five full years since America’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell first saw his health seriously threatened. It was in August 2020 that the, apparently, not-that-rude-in-real-life former American Idol judge had an accident while attempting to ride his new e-bike in his driveway and broke his back. The entrepreneur had to have spinal fusions, a metal rod inserted into his back and also endured a long road to recovery that included missing AGT tapings for nearly a year, but eventually came out OK on the other side. Now, he’s opened up about having the first heart-to-heart with his surgeon after that accident and realizing he might not have been able to walk again.

What Did Simon Cowell Say About First Realizing How Bad His E-Bike Accident Was?

The 2025 TV schedule is set to bring us America’s Got Talent Season 20 (which had to reschedule auditions because of the Los Angeles wildfires) in just a little while now, but there was a time not that long ago when Simon Cowell’s part as a Grinch-like judge on the long-running hit was not a given. This, of course, was after he broke his back in his first e-bike accident and needed nearly a year to recover (he had a second e-bike accident that led to a broken arm in 2022).

While speaking on How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, the fielder of weird (and sometimes sexual in nature) fan requests talked about the accident and its aftermath, and said:

It was roughly six weeks after the accident that fans began to wonder if Cowell’s injury was a lot more serious than we’d thought, because the star had basically disappeared from social media and was said to be facing a lot of long-term ramifications even though his surgery went well and reportedly only took five hours to complete.

From how he tells it, just looking at the X-rays post-injury told him how bad it was, but hearing that the surgeon wasn’t even sure he could fix his back, along with noting the potential length of the procedure and the possibility of something else going wrong during it, really made the damage done hit home in a very real way.

And, that realization was with The X Factor judge admitting that after the bike “threw me seven or eight feet in the air” after he pulled the throttle and the device popped a massive “wheelie,” he landed and knew “I’ve broken my back.” Cowell had assumed that since he could still move his fingers and toes, that the injury couldn’t have been too bad. However, he continued:

Cowell’s son, Eric (who is now 11 and “went crazy” when he saw his dad on an e-bike soon after his 2022 accident), was only around five or six at the time, and he was actually in the driveway with him and watching when the accident happened, so it especially makes a lot of sense that he would think of his son and what kind of future he’d be able to have with him after finding out just how badly he was hurt.

Luckily, everything turned out alright, and Cowell confirmed again that he feels better than before the accident because he’s ‘fitter’ after having to do physical therapy and taking stock of how much he sat to work before that fateful day in his driveway.

For those in the entertainment industry, dealing with fans has got to be one of the strangest parts of the job. We’ve heard about women following Kelly Clarkson into the bathroom and people quotingThe Office wrong to Rainn Wilson, and I’d imagine there are some overall pretty strange requests that get made. To prove that, again, Simon Cowell said there’s one thing he’s commonly asked to do, but the prize has to go to the couple who asked him to critique their sex life.

Simon Cowell Reveals A Common Fan Request

Simon Cowell came up in the music business as a record producer, but let’s be real — we all know him for judging competition shows. In fact, he’ll be behind the Golden Buzzer again when America’s Got Talent Season 20 hits the 2025 TV schedule later this month.

Before AGT, though, he was notorious for being mean to American Idol’s early-season contestants, and that’s undoubtedly the inspiration behind one common request. Cowell opened up about this too on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, saying:

The talent scout describes himself as shy, and anyone who’s watched him shed a tear on America’s Got Talent knows that his rude American Idol persona was faked for TV. It must be so weird to have strangers walking up to you, asking you to insult them. What a world.

However, Simon Cowell’s been in more unique circumstances than that, as he described some fans who had a more intimate proposal.

The AGT Judge Recalls A Couple Who Asked Him To Critique Their Bedroom Activities

Following the revelation about how many Americans are begging to be insulted by the harshest of American Idol’s ex-judges, Simon Cowell regaled the podcast host with another tale.

He recalled being in a restaurant one time — “This is a true story,” he says — and a man came over to say he loved Cowell’s show and asked if he’d take a picture with him. He then introduced the record exec to his wife and, as Cowell explains it, the man asked:

I can see how the TV personality might have been caught off-guard by the direction that conversation took, but hey, you can’t blame a guy for shooting his shot. Closed mouths don’t get fed, right? It's not like they were asking him to provide his services for free!

So exactly how much did the reality competition judge turn down?

I’m kind of intrigued by the terms of this request. Were the fans asking Cowell to insult them American Idol-style (“That was bloody awful! And why are you wearing that?”), or give more uplifting AGT-esque praise (“I didn’t like it. … I LOVED it!”)? Did they want live play-by-play commentary, or — in competition show tradition — for the judge to deliver his opinion after the performance was over?

These are questions that will never be answered because the judge apparently passed on the opportunity, but I can totally see why this fan interaction would stick out as one of the weirdest requests he’s gotten.

You can see more of Simon Cowell when America’s Got Talent premieres at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, May 27, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

American Idol fans got their first real glimpse of Carrie Underwood as Katy Perry’s replacement during the American Idol audition special that aired on the 2025 TV schedule after the Academy Award winners were announced Sunday night, and wow, things certainly have changed. The Season 4 winner will officially make her debut as the new judge when Season 23 kicks off March 9, but it’s already obvious to her (and Lionel Richie) how much things have changed.

It’s been 20 years since Carrie Underwood stood in front of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson in the audition that would lead to her being named the winner of American Idol Season 4. Back then the show (which aired on Fox for its first 15 seasons) sprinkled in some bad auditions among its uber-talented hopefuls, basically just to embarrass them for the audience’s entertainment. Underwood told EW:

Gone are the days where people like William Hung were encouraged to sing in front of the judges for the sole purpose of being laughed at and insulted (although he did get the last laugh, becoming one of Idol’s most famous contestants). Removing that aspect was a big change made when American Idol was rebooted on ABC for Season 16, and Underwood noted that they want to give the singers feedback that can help them grow.

Lionel Richie, who continues his role as a judge alongside Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, added that while the old way may have been more entertaining for a TV audience, today they give artists more grace. He said:

I love that regardless of if the artists make it through to Hollywood week, this current trio of judges wants everyone to be able to take something away from their audition.

In Carrie Underwood’s time, Simon Cowell was known for being especially harsh — though it’s been said that rudeness might have been faked for TV — as he criticized everything from contestants’ song choice to wardrobe and even their weight.

While many of us agree American Idol is better without such personal insults, Randy Jackson thinks American Idol has gotten too nice. He has said the music industry is a mean business, and if someone is terrible, it’s better that they know that. Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken said he liked the judges’ criticism, because it allowed him and other artists to grow, and it made for better television because you could see the singers’ improvement over the course of a season.

Theoretically, though, both things are possible, and we’ll have to tune in to see how Carrie Underwood’s judging philosophy contributes to the overall goal of developing music idols while not humiliating anyone who puts themselves out there. Tune in for the American Idol Season 23 premiere at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 9, on ABC and streaming the next day with a Hulu subscription.

When American Idol returns for Season 23 on the 2025 TV schedule, Carrie Underwood will make her debut as a judge 20 years after she won the fourth season of the show. The contestants who stand in front of her, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, however, will likely have a different experience than Underwood did back in 2005. The judges back then were not afraid to give constructive criticism — with a strong emphasis on criticism. Clay Aiken, the Season 2 runner-up, is actually grateful he experienced the show in that era and explained why he’s glad the judges were tougher back then.

When Clay Aiken competed on American Idol, he faced the infamous trio of Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, and he told US Weekly that he feels that their honest feedback helped him to become so successful. Aiken said:

It wasn’t just him, either, but Clay Aiken says if you look back at several of the most famous American Idol contestants, you can see the artists being shaped over the course of the season, starting with the very first winner Kelly Clarkson. Aiken continued:

Clay Aiken, who finished Season 2 in second place behind Ruben Studdard, said he doesn’t see that kind of improvement in the current contestants, and Idol could save a lot of time if they skipped over the “45 to 50 seconds where they’re all going to say, ‘You did a lovely job and you’re a great star.'” Aiken thinks the singers would benefit from being challenged a little.

Simon Cowell was largely considered the meanest of the original American Idol judges, but there’s a chance that rudeness was faked for TV. Randy Jackson, meanwhile, agrees with Clay Aiken and has spoken out about singing competition judges being too nice. Even Katy Perry — who was definitely not always nice to the contestants — had said she hoped whoever followed her wouldn’t be afraid to speak their mind and actually have a point of view.

It sounds like when Carrie Underwood officially replaces Katy Perry, she hopes to bring a good blend of the old and the new. The “Before He Cheats” artist said her judging philosophy is to be “honest and constructive but still kind.” We still have a couple of months before we see what that looks like. American Idol Season 23 will premiere at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, March 9, on ABC.

Following the tragic death of Liam Payne, the man who discovered the singer and One Direction, Simon Cowell has shared his tribute for him. The singer/songwriter died on October 16 after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31 years old. Tons of tributes for Payne have poured in since then, including statements from his bandmates, and now, the X-Factor judge has shared an emotional message about this tragic loss.

Much like the members of One Direction, Cowell took to Instagram to post about Liam Payne. He noted that he's "truly devastated" by this news, and he proceeded to write a three-slide long tribute about the singer, which started with:

The AGT judge continued his statement by saying that explaining how he feels right now is “difficult.” However, he went on to describe Payne as “kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble” and “focused.” He also praised his love of music.

Continuing his message, Cowell reflected on meeting Liam Payne in 2008 when he was only 14 years old on X-Factor, writing:

As the judge noted, in 2008, the singer auditioned for the British singing competition for the first time. He was cut during boot camp, then saved by Cowell before getting cut again. As the judge noted in his post, he encouraged the singer to come back in two years, and he did.

In 2010, he auditioned again, that’s also when Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson came into the picture, and One Direction was formed on X-Factor. While their partnership wasn’t perfect, Cowell loved working with the guys, and all of them reached incredible levels of success because of the boyband.

The former American Idol judge even said a while back that he would love a 1D reunion while praising how well all five guys were doing with their solo careers.

Cowell also noted in his statement that he had met with Payne last year, and they reconnected on a personal level. He wrote about loving how much the singer loved being a dad, and through that meeting he was “reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy” he met all those years ago.

You can read Simon Cowell’s full statement below:

Overall, this candid and detailed post from the judge shows how much he cares for Liam Payne and the guys of One Direction.

Throughout the last few days, it’s been heartwarming and emotional to see so many show their love for Liam Payne and his family. However, the messages from Cowell, Horan, Tomlinson, Malik and Styles hit the hardest, because they were all so close, and their working together marked such a significant moment in both their lives and pop culture history.

We here at CinemaBlend send our thoughts and condolences out to the singer’s family and loved ones during this tragic time.

The end is nigh for America's Got Talent Season 19 in the 2024 TV schedule, with only the finale results episode left. As usual for a night of finale performances, AGT packed in plenty of filler segments for the time between contestants taking the stage. This time around, St. Denis Medical actor David Alan Grier dropped by the set to join forces with Howie Mandel for a prank on the other three judges. The prank allowed Heidi Klum to show off her supermodel roots, while Simon Cowell quickly started running low on patience.

The prank involved David Alan Grier visiting AGT to claim that he was interested in trying out directing, so he was going to direct the judges in some promos for local news stations. Grier confessed to camera that the goal was to "annoy the hell out of these judges," but the blame should really be cast at Howie Mandel. The promos grew increasingly ridiculous as time went on, with Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum hiding their frustration a bit better than Simon Cowell, who was done with the props pretty early on. Take a look:

In fairness to Simon Cowell, it appears that the judges were recruited to film a whole lot of promos right after the end of last week's episode of AGT. Every person has to have their limit; for Simon Cowell filming promos, that limit is apparently wearing goofy sunglasses. (You can view all the context for the clip with the episode streaming via Peacock Premium subscription.)

Since AGT is currently in its stage of live shows, filming the promos after the last episode presumably meant the four were sitting in those chairs and being handed silly props in a noisy room for quite some time. Sofia Vergara showed off her ability to keep a straight face while delivering lines in a way that I have to imagine she mastered on Modern Family, but I got my biggest kick out of Heidi Klum striking a pose while the massive fans started blowing for the fake Windy City promo.

Even if I hadn't known that Klum was a supermodel long before she was an AGT judge or part of many of her other ventures, her striking that pose while the fan basically blew Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell out of frame would have been proof enough.

Though Klum showing off her modeling skills while her fellow judges stumbled out of frame was my favorite part of the prank video, I had to laugh at the look on Simon Cowell's face after the big reveal. He handled it with grace, but I'd say that he still didn't look particularly amused. Take a look:

That is the face of a man trying to be a good sport while he's live on national TV, if you ask me! I can't say that I blame him – unwittingly filming those promos for a prank looks like a chore, and we can't all look as composed and glam as Heidi Klum when being blasted in the face by a fan.

Of course, most of this episode of AGT was about the performances of the last contestants standing, who are closer than ever to winning the grand prize of $1 million. I'd say that there really wasn't a dud all evening, to the point that I really can't pick a frontrunner.

It was fun to see Richard Goodall's reaction to learning that he'd be performing "Faithfully" alongside a member of Journey after he dazzled in his audition with "Don't Stop Believin.'" That said, Dee Dee Simon proved that he's not the only singer still in the fight for the victory.

The two singers have been two of my favorites this season, but I find myself rooting in particular for quick change magician Solange Kardinaly and comedian Learnmore Jonasi. Neither a magician specializing in quick change nor a standup comic has ever won AGT before, and that would be an entertaining way to end Season 19.

You can cast your votes for any of the performers who are still in the mix on the official AGT voting site until Wednesday, September 18 at 7 a.m. ET on NBC, with the finale results episode airing on Tuesday, September 24.

Can you believe it? It was twenty years ago when Carrie Underwood first auditioned for American Idol in front of original judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. While you won’t find the ABC singing competition show among 2024 TV premiere dates, Underwood is set to step in as a judge for Season 23 following Katy Perry’s exit. Finally, Simon Cowell has commented on the latest judge pick.

Back in 2004, Simon Cowell lit up a young Carrie Underwood’s dreams by saying she was “good” during her nervous audition before the singer went on to become the Season 4 winner. Here’s what Cowell recently said about Underwood being a new judge on American Idol:

While speaking to E! News, following this week’s America’s Got Talent live show, Simon Cowell had some nice words to say about the American Idol alum as she gets ready to become a judge. He continued with these words when asked about what advice he’d give her:

Simon Cowell of course has a reputation for not mincing his words around hopefuls, and not being afraid to be a meanie on national television. However, when Carrie Underwood recently spoke about taking up the job, she said the following:

It doesn’t sound like Carrie Underwood is necessarily going to take a page out of Simon Cowell’s book based on those comments, but she does want to offer some “honest” and “constructive” advice to those who are hoping to be in her position in the music industry. She’ll be working alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan as judges. Richie has already said the new judge “makes a lot of sense,” especially considering her personal history with the show.

Carrie Underwood’s new spot in American Idol will mark the first major change for the competition series since 2018 when ABC rebooted it following FOX cancelling it in 2016. Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and Luke Bryan had been the judges of the new American Idol for seven seasons. Perry decided to step away from the series following Season 22’s finale this past spring to focus on her pop career again.

While her fellow judges and fans are sad to see Katy Perry go, Carrie Underwood joining the cast could be a great opportunity for a former contestant to share their perspective. Plus, apparently ABC has been trying to make Underwood’s involvement happen for some time. Currently, the audition window is open for hopefuls. We can’t wait to see what Underwood brings to the series.

The quarterfinals of America's Got Talent Season 19 are nearly over in the 2024 TV schedule, and Simon Cowell was the judge with the golden buzzer in the latest episode. It wasn't too surprising that aerialist Sebastian got the buzzer after a spectacular performance despite his partner Sonia getting injured in rehearsals, and L6 returned without the benefit of a second song this time around. Quick change magician Solange Kardinaly was back to close out the night to plenty of applause, but comedian Erica Rhodes was still a standout of the night, although Sofia Vergara and Simon Cowell have different visions of what should be next for her. Only one of them was roasted, though!

Admittedly, Simon Cowell's roast was more of a light toasting than what Tom Brady endured earlier this year, but I'd say that Erica Rhodes certainly made her point. Following her set that touched on dating, aging, and her voice, Sofia Vergara first told the contestant this:

While suggesting that Rhodes should be on a sitcom isn't exactly a vote of confidence that she'll be the champion of America's Got Talent Season 19, receiving that compliment from Sofia Vergara of all people had to feel good. Vergara of course starred on all eleven seasons of Modern Family and was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series four times alongside Julie Bowen.

Simon Cowell was less effusive in his praise, however, when he pointed out that he didn't laugh this time even though he'd liked her audition. He had this suggestion:

Unlike Simon Cowell, I did laugh at Erica Rhodes' quarterfinals performance and wouldn't have suggested to her face that she needs to be surrounded by others to be funny, but I do like his idea of her on Saturday Night Live, and not just because of the sketch comedy show's recent cast departures or buzz over the 50th anniversary.

This performance proved that she can be funny while performing live on camera, keep her cool, and roll with the punches, as she had a zinger for Cowell when she didn't get the reaction she may have expected after the compliments from the other three judges. After his critique, she said:

And that was enough to make Simon Cowell laugh, oddly enough. In a nod to one of her jokes, AGT host Terry Crews went on to ask who gives her a ride to the airport, to which she quickly responded that "Simon's not" on the top of her list. All in all, she brought some laughs and I think proved herself both as a comic and a live performer on camera.

Even if Cowell's comments may not have been phrased in a way that she loved, I could see Erica Rhodes on SNL. If you missed her performance or just want to check it out again, take a look:

If you want to see Erica Rhodes advance to the finals and perhaps even win the grand prize of $1 million and a Las Vegas stage show, you can vote for her (or any of the other most recent quarterfinals performers) on the official AGT voting site until 7 a.m. ET on September 4. Find out who will advance later that night with the results episode at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

The competition is heating up on America's Got Talent now that Season 19 has reached the quarterfinals stage, and the addition of some extra golden buzzers in this round likely doesn't make the experience any less stressful for the contestants. Fortunately for me, my Season 19 favorite was advanced in the first quarterfinals results episode (available streaming via Peacock Premium subscription) of the 2024 TV schedule, but the biggest takeaway might not be that Richard Goodall is moving forward. Based on some comments from Simon Cowell, is another spinoff season on the way?

Janitor-turned-AGT singer Richard Goodall made a strong impression with his performance of "Don't Stop Believin'" in his audition, followed by his quarterfinals rendition of Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" which earned him plenty of applause. Simon Cowell had a critique for Goodall's song choice as well as some compliments, and I wasn't too worried after the performance about whether he would get enough votes to advance.

While Cowell didn't come out and say anything about a different show in the following results episode, he does have a history of teasing acts that will return in a spinoff. This time around, he had some encouraging words for singer LiV Warfield, who had already proven herself as a musician when singing backup for Prince. She was eliminated from Season 19 after the quarterfinals audience vote, with Cowell dropping these comments after host Terry Crews announced Hypers Kids Africa rather than Warfield would be advancing:

That could just mean that Simon Cowell is interested in making connections for LiV Warfield to continue advancing in the music industry, but my mind immediately leapt to "spinoff" after he commented in this way to the singer. After all, in addition to Cowell hinting at past offshoot shows before they were officially announced, AGT has plenty of spinoffs already.

In fact, as of Season 19 of the original, the franchise on the U.S. side of the pond also consists of America's Got Talent: Fantasy League, America's Got Talent: The Champions, America's Got Talent: All-Stars, and America's Got Talent: Extreme. While I think it's safe to rule out Warfield competing in a future season of the action-packed Extreme – which only ran for one season of four episodes anyway – I could see her being brought back for one of the others, if not for a brand-new spinoff that hasn't been done before.

AGT: Fantasy League is the most recent spinoff, and had the added novelty of former judge Mel B returning to the table alongside Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Simon Cowell. It gave the judges the option to bring back past favorites as well as compete against each other. At the time of writing, Fantasy League has not yet been renewed for a second season. If it is renewed, I could see LiV Warfield as a good fit there, if not an as-yet-unannounced show.

Whether the franchise is expanding again or not, Season 19 is far from over. Keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for the quarterfinals performances and then Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET for the results.

America's Got Talent and the judges are officially back from their Olympics break, and the first live show of Season 19 brought back eleven of the most memorable acts whose auditions most impressed Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Terry Crews. The performers' futures are now in the hands of voters (aside from the latest golden buzzer twist), and I think that some of Cowell's criticism in the August 13 episode may actually help singer Richard Goodall's odds of advancing to the finals in the 2024 TV schedule.

And if Goodall does make it all the way, he could be the next AGT champion who won a golden buzzer first! While acrobatic group Hakuna Matata Acrobatic received Sofia Vergara's golden buzzer in the first live episode of the season, Goodall received that honor for his audition courtesy of Heidi Klum when he astounded the audience with his take on Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" in May. For his quarterfinals performance, the middle school janitor/singer brought his fiancée to the theater and covered Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You."

The audience loved it, but Simon Cowell had one less than celebratory note for Goodall, saying:

Well, if you're going to get a critique from Simon Cowell, getting it along with some glowing praise has to be the best way! I actually agree with the judge that Richard Goodall's audition felt more special with his Journey cover, but that certainly doesn't make his take on Michael Bolton unworthy of advancing in AGT.

And honestly, Cowell's criticism may have done Goodall some favors in the grand scheme of AGT. His comments included a reminder of how hard he'd crushed with his audition, and "there's still somewhere to go" feels like a tease of greatness we'll definitely get to see... so long as enough fans vote for him to advance. All in all, I think the words from Cowell – while not 100% positive – may have a positive affect on the singer when it comes to voters wanting to see more of him.

Interestingly, "Don't Stop Believin'" was released in 1981, whereas "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" released first in 1983 by Laura Branigan and then rereleased in 1990 by Michael Bolton, who co-wrote it. Goodall's Journey song was older than his quarterfinals selection! If you missed the performance, take a look below:

The judges didn't actually have a ton of time to give Richard Goodall feedback; the downside of going last in AGT live episodes is that if an episode is running long, there's not going to be much time for commentary before the final credits have to roll. Simon Cowell's three peers clearly agreed that Goodall "nailed it" as well, but Mandel also noted that only three of the acts who had performed would move on.

Hakuna Matata Acrobatic is already guaranteed to move forward thanks to Sofia Vergara's golden buzzer, but Richard Goodall is still up against rap duo Flewnt and Inkabee (who got some critiques of their own), shadow dance group Attraction Juniors, singer Liv Warfield, dance group Hypers Kids Africa, music group Ashes & Arrows with an original song, dance group Los Osos High School, baton twirler Phillip Lewis, dog act Roni Sagi & Rhythm, and teen contortionist Arshiya.

Tune in to NBC on Wednesday, August 14 at 8 p.m. ET for the results of the audience vote that will determine whether Richard Goodall's America's Got Talent journey will continue. You can also revisit earlier episodes of Season 19 streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Simon Cowell is responsible for bringing some of the best reality TV shows to the TV schedule, even if he sometimes hates the finalists. His keen eye and business savvy has meant that for years he’s been a prominent producer and on-screen personality. He's known for biting-yet-honest feedback, which is why I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the wild object the 64-year-old judge reportedly keeps in his office.

Gareth Gates is an OG reality contestant who actually appeared on Pop Idol, the UK precursor to American Idol, all the way back in 2002. He ended up becoming a runner-up on the series, but it placed him in close proximity to Cowell, and years later he was in the TV personality’s office when he saw the strangest – but also most on brand — item he kept on the wall. Noting of Simon’s peculiarities, Graham revealed on the My Dirty Laundry podcast:

Host Rebecca Davison, of course, had to ask Gates if the gift was a “gag” gift, to which he admitted he had “absolutely no idea.” The one thing he would say about the over-the-top mirror Cowell had proudly displayed is that it really fits the producer's personality to put it up on his wall, noting he could see him in the mirror “kind of saying that to himself.”

For years, Simon Cowell was known for looking well-shaved and showing off a little chest hair, but he’s admitted in the past he’s not the biggest fashion aficionado, and has said he’s “not really interested” in how he looks on screen and in past photos. Though he did admit in an interview (via DailyMail) that he’d gotten called out for wearing “embarrassing trousers” in the past, which spurred a bit of change.

In more recent years he’s been keeping better tabs on his appearance. He even made headlines a while back after an incredible weight loss transformation. He added sunglasses and normal coverage tees to most of his looks. Given the grooming changes and the fact he already has a lot of confidence in the workplace, the mirror does strike Gates as on-brand.

In general, Gates had many nice things to say about the heavy hitter producer, noting he had really helped him throughout his career. It’s similar to what Kelly Clarkson had to say after the longtime producer was a champion of her during her stint on American Idol as well.

After his stint on Pop Idol Gareth Gates did produce some albums, but he’s mostly known for musical stage work in productions as varied as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Les Miserables, Legally Blonde, Footloose and more. He’s also appeared in further reality TV with a stint in ITV’s Dancing on Ice. He’s also reportedly been extremely successful as a movie investor and is a part of Ingenious Partnerships, which helped bankroll Avatar, one of the best films of the early '000s. Not too shabby for a guy who was a total unknown before Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller’s show jumpstarted his career.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 4 of America's Got Talent Season 19.

America's Got Talent returned to the airwaves on June 25 after a brief break in the 2024 TV schedule, and there was a lot to enjoy from the acts, even if not all of the judges were equally enthusiastic about the dancing robot or the twin brothers with their dominoes. As is often the case, AGT saved some of the best for toward the end of the hour, which meant nearly two hours passed before fans got to see the family singing group L6 perform Celine Dion's "All By Myself" on stage... although they didn't get far into the song before Simon Cowell intervened.

It earned him a lot of boos from the audience, and reminded me of what singer Dee Dee Simon told CinemaBlend when speaking about AGT earlier this season.

Why Simon Cowell Stopped The Singers

The L6 family singing group is comprised of five siblings and a niece, and they came to AGT from the Philippines to honor their late mother's dream and with an iconic song to try and cover. Simon Cowell was rooting for them to "be good, be good, be good" under his breath as the opening notes of "All By Myself" began. The audience wasted no time in cheering their support, but Cowell raised his hand to stop the music before L6 even got to chorus. The audience's cheers changed to boos since it seemed like Cowell was shooting them down without giving them a proper chance.

That is, that's what it seemed like if you don't give him the benefit of the doubt after seeing him interrupt singers many times in the past, including Putri Ariani in Season 18, which resulted in the teen singer impressing him so much that he hit the golden buzzer for her. After the boos stopped long enough on June 25 for Simon Cowell to be heard, he told them they should lose the backing track and sing a capella, because according to him, "the track was terrible."

It was a big ask for the group to not only start all over, but also figure out the a capella tempo on the fly in front of thousands of people. As for whether or not it worked for them, take a look below:

I won't lie – when Simon Cowell raised his hand to stop the performance, I assumed that he was going to ask them to sing a different song. He has done that several times over the years as a competition TV show judge, usually with great results. L6 seemingly had to wing it when they went a capella, and nailed it when they did. But their change in direction on the fly reminded me of a conversation I had with Dee Dee Simon, after she opened up about the perks of going last in an episode of America's Got Talent.

Dee Dee Simon's Take On A Second Song

Dee Dee Simon made a splash in AGT Season 19 when she took the stage to perform her take on "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls. She was the last performer of the night, and such a hit in the theater that there was some surprise that nobody hit the golden buzzer for her. When speaking with CinemaBlend, she was clear on how important it was to her to perform the Dreamgirls number with her mom in the audience, but she was ready if she needed to adapt. When asked if she had something else prepared just in case, she shared:

Let it not be said that Dee Dee Simon wasn't swinging for the fences on AGT, because even though "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was – to quote Simon Cowell – "one of the hardest songs in the world," singing any Whitney Houston song as a backup is a bold move. The AGT singer went on to explain how early in the process she was working on both songs:

Just like with L6 in the most recent episode of AGT, Dee Dee Simon's story and personality came through in the performance to really shine. Notably, she kicked off her heels at one of the song's biggest moments and just kept on singing. When I asked if she'd planned on that move, she responded:

Between Dee Dee Simon, L6, and the other singing acts that got support from enough of the judges to move forward, Season 19 of America's Got Talent could have some pretty fantastic music by the time the live shows start. For now, keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of America's Got Talent Season 19 as the auditions continue, and/or stream episodes next day with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Simon Cowell has helped discover many A-list musicians through his work on American Idol and X Factor. However, his biggest success story is probably the formation of One Direction. In the 2010s the boyband took the world by storm, and following their breakup Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne went on to have successful solo careers with some reaching incredible levels of superstardom by themselves. Now, the judge who brought them together is reflecting on signing them after X Factor, and he revealed his one “regret” about their deal.

When it comes to a One Direction reunion, Simon Cowell has said he’s here for it, and every once in a while he throws it back to the old days when 1D was on X Factor to reminisce. However, he also recently said on The Diary of a CEO podcast that he doubts they’ll ever get back together. With that in mind, the America’s Got Talent judge explained that he has one “regret” about the deal he made with them back in the day, and it all comes down to that iconic name:

When One Direction was signed, the five members of the band got the rights to its name. Cowell didn’t get any of it. Now, it sounds like the judge regrets it because he’s not able to capitalize on it since the members are no longer together. 

Now, all five have careers of their own, and the prospect of 1D coming back together is slim to none. With Harry Styles being a megastar, Niall Horan finding success through his solo career and his work as a coach on The Voice, and Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne all releasing multiple solo projects, all of them are thriving by themselves. Therefore, Cowell can’t capitalize on One Direction at the moment. 

He went on to explain this regret further, saying: 

If Simon Cowell had ownership of the name One Direction it seems like he would have continued to keep creating work under it. Whether that’s a TV special or having a few of the members tour without some of the others, he wouldn't have let the name slide into the past as its members moved forward. 

Cowell went on to explain that he believes they all own 20% of the name, and that led him to say that at times he can be “naive.”  The former American Idol judge said:

So, if he goes on to discover another boyband who becomes as big as One Direction, he’ll be keeping the name. However, while he said he has plans to do just that on the podcast, he’s also very busy with his various judging gigs, because America’s Got Talent just kicked into high gear on the 2024 TV schedule. 

With all that in mind, it’s interesting to hear Simon Cowell reflect on one of the most successful moments of his career and point out what he would have done differently. While he occasionally does not like the finalists who end up on shows like the Got Talents and X Factor, sometimes he strikes gold and gets a phenomenon like One Direction. However, even when you reach that level of success, there's still room for regret, as the judge explained. 

To see what all these guys are up to now, you can catch Cowell on America’s Got Talent every Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesdays on NBC or with a Peacock subscription. As for the former boyband, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson are both on tour, Harry Styles is on a break after his massive tour, and Zayn Malik and Liam Payne both released new music this year. 

So, while you can’t hear new One Direction music or see any of the projects Cowell would have made if he owned their name, there’s no shortage of music and entertainment when it comes to these guys. 

Simon Cowell has been a judge on Britain's Got Talent and America’s Got Talent for years. He’s seen countless contestants audition for the shows, and he’s witnessed so many journeys from that first stage to being a finalist. Of course, not every season is the greatest one ever – for example, last year’s AGT winner faced criticism from fans – so it makes sense that sometimes the judge finds that he doesn’t always like a season’s set of finalists. 

With Britain’s Got Talent’s winner being crowned this spring, and America’s Got Talent getting started on the 2024 TV schedule, the judge sat down with Captial Breakfast (via Yahoo! News and Cover Media) to chat about what it’s like judging these shows. He said he really enjoyed this year’s BGT finalists, however, that’s not the case every season, as he explained:

We know Simon Cowell keeps it real. From his days on American Idol to his work now on the Got Talent shows, he’s never one to mince his words or pretend like he likes something. So, it’s not terribly shocking that he admitted this. 

Continuing to candidly explain why he doesn't like all the finalists every season, the longtime judge said:

Simon Cowell has been a judge on BGT since 2007 and AGT since 2016. He’s seen what feels like an infinite number of auditions, and sometimes a season just isn’t as strong as another. 

However, it’s nice to hear that he thought this season of Britan’s show was excellent. Hopefully, the same can be said for America’s Got Talent, especially since the big Golden Buzzer change gives all the judges an extra opportunity to send deserving contestants further into the competition. 

It does seem like this year’s installment of America’s Got Talent is off to a strong start, and it looks like Cowell won’t be sarcastically saying “Oh, great” at the end of the season. We’re only a few episodes in, and the longtime judge told one of the Golden Buzzer winners that her performance felt like being “punched in the face” “in a good way.” That’s a pretty high compliment, and as he said, he “can’t fake” his feelings about a contestant, so I’d say AGT is going to be great this year. 

In the past Cowell has ranked his favorite auditions across both competition shows, and if you look at the list, you’ll notice that not every season of BGT and AGT are represented. However, there are multiple entries from a few seasons too. The simple truth is that some years are just way better than others.  

As America’s Got Talent continues to air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, let’s hope the auditions continue to go great, because the last thing we want is a group of finalists that Cowell and the audience aren't a fan of. To see how that all pans out, you can watch AGT on NBC or with a Peacock subscription. 

Spoiler alert! This story contains spoilers for the June 4 episode of America’s Got Talent. If you’re not caught up, episodes are available to stream with a Peacock subscription. 

We’re only two nights into America’s Got Talent Season 19, and already it’s shaping up to be a wild one. After Terry Crews and Heidi Klum each awarded a Golden Buzzer in the season premiere, Simon Cowell had to throw out the rule book this week after he hit the all-important button for two separate acts. He then announced that Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara would also receive a second Golden Buzzer this season. Both of Cowell’s picks on the June 4 episode were impressive, but only one made him feel like he’d been “punched in the face.”

Night 2 of auditions featured some crazy performances, including a baton-twirler, the cutest 5-year-old drummer and a man who … lifted pots with his eyeballs and put a giant pair of scissors down his throat. That last one was one of Simon Cowell’s favorite acts of the night, but it wasn’t one that earned a Golden Buzzer. That honor went first to singer Liv Warfield. Check her out below:

The Chicago resident controlled the stage from the first note that escaped her mouth, and her impressive vocals were complemented by a big band that included multiple horns, a guitarist and drummer. Simon Cowell had told her that winning the audience over was her best shot at moving forward, and she certainly did that, as her band performed fun choreography around her. 

When the song was over, all four judges were on their feet, and Simon Cowell started in with that fake-out thing he always does, where he makes it sound like he’s going to say something mean before pivoting. The judge said:

He then, of course, proceeded to hit the Golden Buzzer. Liv Warfield had told the judges she made her living as a singer and had previously shared the stage with Prince and Nancy Wilson from Heart. But despite her years of experience and the hard work she’s put in, her big break hasn’t come. The musician told the panel: 

That persevering attitude, on top of a monster performance, paid off, and the singer burst into tears as the gold confetti fell around her. Many Golden Buzzer winners have gone on to win America’s Got Talent, so Liv Warfield no doubt knows that getting a ticket straight to the live shows could mean huge things for her music career. 

Tune in next week to see how the new Golden Buzzer rule affects the competition going forward for the rest of the judges, and keep an eye on the 2024 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming up. 

When it comes to delivering awe-inspiring performances and shocking feats of astonishment, America’s Got Talent is the king of the castle, and creator Simon Cowell showed off his Midas Touch once more in bringing a second Golden Buzzer into the competition for Season 19. The NBC hit premiere, which featured quite the stressful dance routine, understandably didn’t need to utilize the new change just yet, but all the judges seem highly enthused about AGT’s continued evolution.

Ahead of the 19th season’s debut, the America’s Got Talent squad spoke with Entertainment Tonight about giving auditioning hopefuls a few extra shots at stardom with five additional Golden Buzzers in the running for the remaining weeks of tryouts. As it goes with the ones that were already in place, a Golden Buzzer allows one of the judges to automatically advance an act into the next round of competition, despite what anyone else thinks.

Simon Cowell explained what sparked the idea to bring more of that fan-favorite into the show’s future.

Indeed, every season of AGT auditions features at least one or two acts (if not more) that defy all forms of logic and expectation. And there are no doubt times when one of those offbeat acts could have gone farther in the competition if the judges had more Golden Buzzers to hand out. Which is definitely a reason why Cowell's co-stars are pumped about the addition.

Heidi Klum

Heidi Klum didn't even make it out of the Season 19 premiere without using up her first Golden Buzzer. She gave it to middle school teacher Richard Goodall for his show-stopper performance of Journey's karaoke fave "Don't Stop Believin'." So it's understandable why she's pumped about the new addition. In her words:

The question now is how long it'll be before she hands out that second Buzzer, perhaps followed by light suggestions for Simon Cowell to introduced a third Golden Buzzer in Season 20. Maybe she'll wait a few years.

Terry Crews

Not that Klum was the only AGT star to go the Golden Buzzer route in the first episode of auditions. Stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonasi took the stage, revealing he traveled to the show all the way from Zimbabwe, and that he also happens to be a mega-fan of Terry Crews, who wound up guaranteeing Jonasi's placement in the next round of the competition. And Crews spoke to the extra Golden Buzzer's importance on a show with such a wide variety of acts.

Perhaps whoever takes the stage in the second episode should also voice their extreme fandom for the Brooklyn Nine-Nine vet, as a way to try and secure his second Buzzer. Or maybe something less devious.

Sofia Vergara

Sofia Vergara, who returned to the franchise after stepping away for the Fantasy League spinoff didn't give out any of her Golden Buzzers on night one. But she definitely joined her co-judges in approving a decent-sized number of acts, such as Taiwanese magician Sam Huang (who seemingly pulled his fingers off of his own hand while standing in front of Vergara). When it comes to the extra Buzzer, Vergara was initially nonplussed, but came around once she realized that it wouldn't actually water things down. As she put it:

I can see why adding five new guarantees to the auditions might seem as if it would take away some importance from the Golden Buzzers that were already in place. But in this case, it just means the judges get to play favorites a few more times, giving lifelines to a few more acts that likely would have gone home extremely disappointed otherwise.

Howie Mandel

I'm pretty sure if America's Got Talent took its next season to space, or required all acts to be animal-related, Howie Mandel would have the same kind of "alright, let's do this!" attitude about it. So it's perhaps predictable that the stand-up comedian was just as positive-minded about additional buzzers, recalling how excited he was whenever the show first introduced the Golden Buzzer element.

Like Vergara and Cowell, Howie Mandel didn't reward any of the opening night acts with a Golden Buzzer, but there are plenty of auditions yet to come going into Summer 2024. That said, Cowell previously teased that more Golden Buzzers were issued out in the first two episodes than any comparable stretches in the past. Season 18's winner wasn't a buzzer recipient, but that could very easily change with the new season.

America’s Got Talent airs Tuesday nights on NBC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with episodes streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

I think many of us can agree that some of the best moments in America’s Got Talent come when the Golden Buzzer is hit. Seeing the judges so excited about an act, and then witnessing the contestants' reactions as they get this massive reward is always heartwarming and exciting. Now, when Season 19 of AGT premieres on the 2024 TV schedule, we’ll be getting even more of these moments. Not only is Simon Cowell excited about this upcoming change to the beloved piece of the show, but I think fans will love it too.

For a long time now, each judge on America’s Got Talent (as well as host Terry Crews) has gotten to award one Golden Buzzer to an act that really impresses them during auditions. From there, that act gets to go straight to the live shows, making them a clear candidate for the win. Now, according to Simon Cowell, each judge will get to give out two Golden Buzzers, and Crews will keep his one. This means there will be twice the amount of celebration, and the longtime judge and executive producer is thrilled about it as he told People:

This comment came a week into filming the auditions for Season 19, and it’s obvious that Simon is really digging this update to the AGT format. 

I have to say, I love it too! I also think viewers of the show will as well.

The Golden Buzzer moments are honestly the main highlight. I have the most fun watching the America’s Got Talent auditions, and seeing one of the judges hit that big gold button is always such a triumphant and occasionally tear-jerking moment. 

Winning a Golden Buzzer makes a contestant a contender to win – as we’ve seen them win many times in the past – and they typically have a lot of fan love coming their way too. For example, out of the six top-viewed videos on America’s Got Talent’s YouTube page, three of them are Golden Buzzer clips with well over 50 million views. 

Last year the Season 18 Golden Buzzer winners also brought it, as moments like Murmuration’s blindfolded audition and Mzansi Youth Choir’s emotional performance still live rent-free in my mind. Also, during AGT: Fantasy League, we couldn't stop watching Sainted Trap Choir’s performance of “Purple Rain.” 

From signers to ventriloquists to dancers to comedians and so much more, the Golden Buzzer gives the judges an opportunity to recognize acts that rise above all the others. And it gives these contestants a moment they are so deserving of and will likely never forget. 

So, with all that said, I’m thrilled that there will be nine Golden Buzzers in play during this year’s auditions instead of five. It means there will be more celebration, more heartwarming moments and so so much more gold confetti!

To see how this change affects America’s Got Talent, you’ll be able to tune into its premiere on May 28 on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. While we wait, you can go back and see last year’s Golden Buzzer winners by streaming AGT with a Peacock subscription. 

Spoilers ahead for the first night of AGT: Fantasy League semi-finals.

America's Got Talent brought the judges' favorites back to the stage for the Fantasy League spinoff, and the semi-finals kicked off with the returns of fan-favorites like Kodi Lee, Aidan Bryant, and Loren Allred. It was just a couple of weeks earlier that Allred's performance of "Never Enough" from The Greatest Showman was a huge hit on stage and has since been viewed by more than 3 million people. Unsurprisingly, she blew the roof off the AGT: Fantasy League house with her semi-finals performance as well, but Mel B had a critique that resulted in a crack from Simon Cowell about the Spice Girls. And I have to say – I'm with Mel B on this one!

"Never Enough" was an obvious pick for Allred's first Fantasy League performance, as The Greatest Showman actually used her vocals for the soundtrack while Rebecca Ferguson performed the role for the camera. For the semi-finals, Simon Cowell's coaching led to her take on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," famously performed by Judy Garland for The Wizard of Oz. And of course, Allred killed the performance, and I'd be surprised if the video of it doesn't rack up millions of views just like "Never Enough" did. Cowell was clearly very proud of her, and the judges all had great feedback for her. 

But Mel B had a comment that really hit home for me, and it wasn't a critique of Allred as a performer as much as the choice of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for her semi-finals performance. The judge – who replaced Sofia Vergara for Fantasy League – said: 

Considering that Simon Cowell had blunt words for Howie Mandel earlier in Fantasy League about Drake Milligan's song choice, it's no surprise that he had a response to Mel B suggesting that the iconic Wizard of Oz song wasn't the best for Loren Allred. Cowell said: 

Mel B – perhaps remembering the lyrics about friendship in the Spice Girls' classic "Wannabe" – immediately started laughing. She also joked that it was a good thing that her cup was almost empty, so there was nothing to throw at Cowell sitting next to her. It's certainly not the first time that her Spice Girls past came up during a season of AGT, although the crack from her fellow judge is a far cry from the "Spice Up Your Life"-themed act back in Season 13! 

Before I get into why I'm on Team Mel B, take a look at Loren Allred's take on "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from the semifinals:

Like so many in the audience who loved Loren Allred's take on the Wizard of Oz song when she sang it live in the theater, I loved this performance... but I certainly wasn't booing Mel B when she made her comment about the song choice. (And not just because I still know all the words to "Wannabe" even in 2024.) "Never Enough" earlier in Fantasy League just hit harder emotionally, and she had a powerful and personal story to go along with it. 

She didn't feel quite as connected to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," which is understandable considering her Greatest Showman history. But I personally loved how her first song started small and a capella before building up to her belting. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" just didn't have the same build to show her range for me, and the backing music was louder than her first performance. 

She was fantastic; I just find myself more aligned with Mel B. Take a a look at "Never Enough" and make up your mind for yourself about which one hits harder in the feels:

Unfortunately, Loren Allred's AGT: Fantasy League journey has come to an end. Although she made it to the top three alongside the Vardanyan Brothers and The Pack Drumline, the percussion group was the act advanced by audience vote. There were two golden buzzers for the contestants in the first night of semi-finals, although neither was quite the same as the Sainted choir going full Prince last week. At least we got two great performances from Allred! 

Aerialist Aidan Bryant got the golden buzzer from Mel, while Kodi Lee got the buzzer from Howie Mandel. Simon Cowell and Heidi Klum will presumably have the chance to hit their own golden buzzers in the second night of semi-finals. Keep tuning in to NBC on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET in the 2024 TV schedule for new episodes of AGT: Fantasy League. You can also revisit any episodes you might have missed streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Spoilers ahead for the final episode of AGT: Fantasy League qualifiers on January 22. 

AGT: Fantasy League was down to its final round of competitors hoping to reach the semifinals in the 2024 TV schedule on January 22, and one group from Simon Cowell's team had a plan to honor one of the best-known songs from a music legend. Sainted Trap Choir intended to perform their take on Prince's iconic "Purple Rain," but there was a problem: "Purple Rain" never clears for AGT. Cowell was determined to get the song for the choir, and I'm so glad that it worked, because I cannot stop rewatching the finished product. It's no wonder that they won Cowell's golden buzzer!

The video package ahead of Sainted's performance revealed that the choir didn't know even a full day ahead of their turn on the Fantasy League stage if they'd get the clearance for "Purple Rain," and Howie Mandel later explained to the audience that Simon Cowell was up until midnight working to clear the song, while Sainted faced the possibility of performing a backup. Considering that the song was Cowell's pick and he was determined that they'd get to perform it, it would have been an AGT tragedy if they didn't get the rights. 

Cowell confirmed that "Purple Rain" is his favorite song of all time, and he shared that he believes Prince – who passed away in 2016 before more details emerged in 2018 – is "the greatest artist of all time." It was enough to motivate him to hit the golden buzzer, and to motivate me to go back and watch the performance more than once. Take a look, if you missed it – or, like me, just need to see it again:

It was a bold move for Simon Cowell to pitch "Purple Rain" to the group, as an AGT producer in the video noted that the song "never, never, never" clears. Even Sainted didn't know whether to expect that they'd perform the Prince tribute or their backup until pretty late, before getting the very good news that Prince's estate was "gracious enough to make an exception" and give permission to perform "Purple Rain." Since 2024 will mark the 40th anniversary of Prince's Purple Rain film and song, the timing couldn't be better for a tribute. 

Based on the reactions from the entire panel of judges and the applause from the audience, I'm guessing that Sainted would have been advanced to the semi-finals even without the golden buzzer from Simon Cowell. Mel B (who replaced AGT's Sofia Vergara for Fantasy League) loved them so much that she jokingly declared that she really doesn't like Cowell for being so right about the choir. The four judges were certainly more united for Sainted than they were for Drake Milligan just a couple of weeks earlier!

AGT: Fantasy League isn't over yet, so be sure to keep tuning in to NBC on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes. The semi-finals start next week with Sainted still in the running for the top prize, so you won't want to miss a moment for the first season of the newest AGT spinoff. 

Also advancing after the final round of qualifiers are aerialist Aidan Bryant, dance group Ghetto Kids, magician Anna DeGuzman, ventriloquist singer Darci Lynne, and dancer Musa Motha. If you've already missed some of Fantasy League, you can catch up streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.

Spoilers ahead for the second night of America's Got Talent: Fantasy League qualifiers are ahead!

The America's Got Talent franchise may be nearly twenty years old, but NBC is doing something new with AGT: Fantasy League in the 2024 TV schedule. Season 18 judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum were joined by former judge Mel B to take their picks from 40 AGT standouts. The judges are mentoring the performers on their own teams, which occasionally involves stealing acts from each other. In the second night of qualifiers, country star Drake Milligan returned on Mandel's team, but Cowell's main response to the performance was a critique of Mandel as a mentor. 

Drake Milligan wowed the crowds back in Season 17 when he took the stage with some original songs, playing the guitar as he sang. He was charismatic on stage, penned very catchy tunes, and had his songs reaching #1 on the charts. Simon Cowell even praised him for not quitting AGT after he already reached those heights. He came in third in Season 17 after an extremely close vote, and it was no surprise that he was brought back for Fantasy League.

All the judges had their eye on him for their team before Howie Mandel claimed him. For Fantasy League, Milligan decided that he would go in a different direction than his original AGT performances and sing a song written by somebody else. He also didn't play the guitar and spent part of the performance seated. He was a hit with the crowd, but his demonstration of "Don't Leave Me Loving You" didn't win over Simon Cowell, who said:

Howie Mandel cut in to let his fellow judge know that Drake Milligan actually didn't write "Don't Leave Me Loving You," even though he had written his two songs – "Sounds Like Something I'd Do" and "Kiss Goodbye All Night" – that he performed in AGT Season 17. Cowell continued: 

While I'm certainly not going to say that I'm qualified to be a mentor for anybody on AGT, I have to agree with Simon Cowell that this wasn't Drake Milligan's best performance, and the songs he wrote himself were stronger. My favorite genre of music isn't country, but I still listen to "Sounds Like Something I'd Do" and "Kiss Goodbye All Night" on repeat every once in a while. Honestly, I fully expect those songs to be stuck in my head again just after typing out the titles. Back in 2021, he chose to perform "Sounds Like Something I'd Do" twice to show how much he could elevate it for the finale, and it worked. 

He definitely wasn't bad when he took a chance with "Don't Leave Me Loving You," but in my book, the songs and his performances were just stronger when he originally competed in Season 17, and I missed the guitar. Mel B. seemed to be on the same page as Simon Cowell, although she was less blunt. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Drake Milligan didn't make the cut to continue the AGT: Fantasy League journey. If you missed the episode or just want to revisit the performance (and commentary) yourself, take a look: 

New episodes of America's Got Talent: Fantasy League air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and there's still plenty of competition on the way, even with Drake Milligan's exit. You can revisit any acts you might have missed so far streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription, as well as past seasons of AGT and AGT: All-Stars.

Another season of America's Got Talent has come to an end, but the winner of Season 18 took a lot of people by surprise. Unlike previous seasons when golden buzzer winners took the top prize, the newest champion isn't one of the golden buzzer winners who seemed to have an edge on the rest, but Adrian Stoica and his talented dog Hurricane. Anybody watching the finale witnessed the judges' reactions to the various eliminations, as well as the outpouring of emotion from the audience live in the theater. Judge Simon Cowell addressed not everybody being happy about Stoica and Hurricane winning shortly after the big reveal. 

When he spoke with People after the finale, Cowell shared his thoughts on Adrian Stoica and Hurricane becoming the first dog act to win AGT since Olate Dogs back in Season 7. Cowell said:

As he said, it was a public vote, so it's on fans who didn't vote if they don't like who won this year! Cowell spoke with the outlet backstage following the live season finale (available streaming via Peacock Premium subscription), so he presumably hadn't seen any reactions on social media to Ramadhani Brothers coming in fifth, Putri Ariani coming in fourth, Murmuration in third, and Anna DeGuzman placing second behind Adrian Stoica and Hurricane. That said, the reactions in the theater made it clear enough that not everybody saw the dog act coming out on top.

When the Ramadhani Brothers were eliminated, Sofia Vergara could be heard saying "What is going on?" Then, when Putri Ariani was announced as fourth, Cowell – who had hit his golden buzzer for the singer – and Vergara looked visibly surprised, and there were boos from the audience. The judges were clearly taken aback when Murmuration – who had gotten Howie Mandel's golden buzzer and I'd ranked second most likely to win – was cut next, with Mandel covering his mouth with his hands before telling them that, in his heart, they were the best he'd seen in Season 18. Once again, there were boos from the audience. 

That said, nobody booed Adrian Stoica and Hurricane when they were announced as the winners, so they still got their moment of glory, complete with gold confetti and a standing ovation from the judges. Take a look, if you missed it: 

Personally, despite my predictions after the finale performances that the champion wouldn't be a singer or a golden buzzer recipient, I was as surprised as anybody that Adrian Stoica and Hurricane won Season 18, but pleasantly so. In fact, I couldn't stop smiling when they won after the unexpected eliminations, and I stand by the idea that a surprise is a good thing every once in a while on AGT.

The wait is now on for when AGT will return for Season 19, but a spinoff is coming in the spring after the end of the 2023 TV schedule that brings none other than former judge Mel B. back into the mix. Called AGT: Fantasy League, the show will pit the judges as well as the competitors against each other, with Mel B. replacing Sofia Vergara. 

The Modern Family star confirmed in the Season 18 finale that she'll be back next summer for Season 19, though, so don't expect Mel B.'s spinoff return to mean that she'll be back full time. For now, I'll just say again: congratulations to Adrian Stoica and Hurricane!

As America's Got Talent's current Season 18 quickly approaches its finale, NBC is already working ahead on a spinoff. This won't be another season of The Champions, Extreme, or All-Stars, but tied to what judge Simon Cowell recently teased when Season 17's Drake Milligan returned for a performance. The new spinoff is called AGT: Fantasy League, and it will be the biggest departure from the usual format yet. There will be the normal panel of judges, however, with Sofia Vergara replaced by a familiar face for Fantasy League: former judge Mel B herself! The return of Mel B is a fun way to fill Vergara's seat on the panel for the spinoff.

AGT: Fantasy League is on the way next year with a format like that of a fantasy sports draft, but this won't involve football or baseball. Judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Mel B will each lead a team comprised of acts over the years from the entire Got Talent franchise. They'll be able to choose from a variety of favorites over the years, not just champions or golden buzzer recipients. 

Winners, finalists, viral performers, and just plain popular acts are in the running, and will be selected by American viewers with an early vote. The vote begins soon, with fans having their shot to suggest acts after the finale of AGT Season 18 on September 27 via the show's app, with a pool of more than sixty former stars to choose from. Forty former acts will make the final cut from the draft pool, with the judges choosing ten each to fill their fantasy teams.

With Mel B coming to Fantasy League with six seasons of the parent series and one season of America's Got Talent: The Champions under her belt, who better to bring back for a season that reaches back into the past for former favorites, especially fresh off of appearing in Fox's Special Forces: World's Toughest Test? Not many judges had runs as long as hers before she departed after Season 13! 

While audiences voting and AGT bringing back former standout performers isn't exactly new after the Champions and All-Stars seasons, the judges will also be competing this time. Cowell, Mandel, Klum, and Mel B will mentor and guide the acts for the goal of being able to brag about selecting the very first AGT: Fantasy League champion. It's not clear at this point what the actual champion will win, but I for one hope it's similar to normal AGT and involves cash and a chance to hit the stage in Las Vegas.

There's another twist to the normal format that makes me think AGT: Fantasy League could feel like a combination of America's Got Talent and The Voice, shortly after new Voice coach Reba McEntire took the AGT stage. While the golden buzzer will be used to send acts directly to the finals as usual, the judges also have the option to hit the valuable buzzer to steal an act from one of the others or boost a member of their own team. Viewers from home will also get to vote each week to choose who makes it to the finals. 

Personally, I'm optimistic about what's ahead with AGT: Fantasy League, and not just because this sounds like the franchise truly trying something new in comparison to past spinoffs that didn't change a whole lot from the format of the original. Plus, I loved Mel B as a judge during her time, and she brought a fun chemistry to the panel, even if she and Cowell didn't always seem to be on the best terms. 

In fact, she spent several seasons on a panel with Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum, so this truly is something of an AGT homecoming for her. I'm guessing she won't want to bring back Sacred Riana after getting a scare from her some years back! Plus, losing Sofia Vergara for Fantasy League doesn't mean that she won't be back for AGT Season 19, as the spinoffs often change up the judges panel. This could be a win-win: getting Mel B back without losing Vegara permanently, although that remains to be seen.

AGT: Fantasy League is slated to premiere in 2024, but no more precise date is available at the time of writing. That's not entirely unsurprising, given the uncertainty in the entertainment industry at the moment due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. For what's on the way sooner rather than later, check out our 2023 TV schedule.