Turning up the ‘Talent’: ‘AGT’ returns with Season 18
“AGT” auditions have finished, and Howie Mandel is back to making jokes on his Instagram stories. That can only mean one thing: It’s time for Season 18. A brand-new, bombshell season of “America’s Got Talent” begins with a two-hour premiere, airing Tuesday, May 30, on NBC. Returning for his fourth season as host, Terry Crews (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) is joined by his panel of celebrity judges, now staples of the popular talent competition show. Howie Mandel (“St. Elsewhere”) returns for his 14th season, while Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”) joins for her 10th, Simon Cowell (“American Idol”) for his eighth, and Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”) for her fourth. The competition begins with a round of auditions, as the judges open the “AGT” stage to starlets from across the country and beyond, welcoming talent of all kinds to perform their various acts – showcasing everything from singing, dancing and acting, to comedy, magic, stunts and more, with each act hopeful for a spot in the main competition. Only a lucky few will continue on to the live episodes, in which the remaining few must compete against each other for both the audience and judges’ votes. “The Winner Takes It All,” so to speak, as one competitor will eventually be crowned, awarded a massive cash prize and the life-altering chance to headline a show on the Las Vegas Strip. Early into taping Season 18, however, People magazine reported that a wrench had been thrown in “AGT’s” usual song and dance, as “the famously sharp-tongued Cowell [...] lost his voice.” In an interview with the publication, Vergara quipped: “Who would have thought that season 18 would have left Simon literally speechless?” She went on, jokingly claiming that she would take over the other judge’s responsibilities. “And, of course, Simon nominated me to give his reactions. He’s passing notes to me like we are back in school.”