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The season 15 premiere of America’s Got Talent airs on Tuesday, May 26 at 8/7c on NBC.
The judges for AGT season 15 are Simon Cowell, Howie Mandell, Heidi Klum, and newcomer Sofia Vergara.
Ahead of the premiere, here’s what you need to know about the cast change and judge’s panel’s latest addition:
Sophia Vergara Is the First Latin Judge on ‘America’s Got Talent’
When news spread that she would be joining America’s Got Talent as a judge, Vergara took to Instagram to share the good news and comment on the significance of her addition to the celebrity panel. In a caption, she wrote “I am so happy to join my new family on @agt This is a new and exciting next chapter for me and I’m extremely proud to be the first Latin judge on the show. I can’t wait to watch all the new talent and have fun with all you guys!”
While Vergara is the only new judge on the panel this season, it seems as those the veteran judges welcomed her with open arms. In an interview with TV Insider, Vergara reflected on working with the show’s other judges for the first time. She said “I felt, at the beginning, like it was my first day at school. I had maybe seen them once or twice [before]. I was a little, not nervous, but excited to meet them. I had been working for 11 years with a group of people that became my real family, you know? It was super weird, like we never had a problem. And so, what are the odds that I’m going to come to a new show immediately? I had only had one week off from Modern Family. Then, the moment I sat there, they were all helping me, giving me tips, just super nice. I really feel so lucky.”
Vergara Is the Latest Celebrity to Join the Cast, Following Gabrielle Union, Julianne Hough, & Alesha Dixon
Actress Sofia Vergara is the newest celebrity to join AGT‘s list of judges. For America’s Got Talent: The Champions, Heidi Klum made her return as a judge, joined by Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon.
The casting change for AGT was met with some controversy, after Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough’s contracts as Got Talent judges were not renewed after season 13. Back in December 2019, Variety published a report alleging that Union was not invited back as a judge in future seasons following statements she made about the show’s “toxic culture,” citing racially insensitive incidents as examples.
In a statement, after neither Hough nor Union were brought back to the judges’ panel, NBC said “‘America’s Got Talent’ has a long history of inclusivity and diversity in both our talent and the acts championed by the show. The judging and host line-up has been regularly refreshed over the years and that is one of the reasons for AGT’s enduring popularity. NBC and the producers take any issues on set seriously.”
New episodes of America’s Got Talent season 15 air on Tuesday nights at 8/7c on NBC.
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