America’s Got Talent is gearing up for another outstanding season of making dreams come true. We already spoke with head honcho Simon Cowell, celebrating his 10th year at the judges’ table for NBC’s talent competition, who explained this season’s vibe as “a happy place to be.” He also broke down the new Judges’ Callbacks element that is being incorporated into Season 21, which sees the judges select a few auditioners they’d like to see perform again before the live shows. But how are Cowell’s colleagues faring as we look ahead to the next installment of Talent?
“First and foremost, the talent is above and beyond,” comic Howie Mandel, says of Season 21’s competitors. As the series’ longest-running judge, Mandel also has high praise for one act that viewers will see during the auditions this year: “My Golden Buzzer is probably one of my favorite acts in my America’s Got Talent history.”
Meanwhile, former Spice Girl Mel B claims to have the fastest hands at the table during this year’s GBs — and we believe her! “My favorite moment this year was I literally didn’t give any of the other judges a chance to press that buzzer,” she tells us. “I was in there so fast no one knew what was going on, which really made me laugh.” The craziest act she saw this year? “A guy who pretended to be three different acts.”
While we’re wrapping our heads around that, Modern Family vet Sofía Vergara, now on her seventh season at the table, notes that, “for the first time in America’s Got Talent history, the talent has been so outstanding that we saw back-to-back Golden Buzzers. It’s a rare and thrilling milestone that reflects just how high the level of competition has become.”
And besides out-of-this-world competition, what else is the show about? For host Terry Crews, back for his eighth season, it’s about the emotional journeys we’ll see as we meet new competitors. “What excites me most is the heart,” Crews says. “Every season, people come out with something real — something they’ve fought for — and this year, it hits deeper. The talent is bigger, yes, but the stories? They’ll stay with you.”
We wouldn’t have it any other way.
America’s Got Talent, Season 21 Premiere, Tuesday, June 2, 8/7c, NBC