After 19 seasons, America’s Got Talent showrunner Jason Raff has reportedly left the show. Raff told Deadline that he was let go after the most recent season of the talent show due to budget cuts.
America’s Got Talent Showrunner Let Go Due to Budget Cuts
In addition to the traditional yearly seasons, Raff also served as a showrunner for AGT‘s various spin-offs, such as Champions and Fantasy League. According to Deadline, Raff was informed that he was being let go just one day after Season 19ended in September.
Sam Donnelly, who has been a showrunner alongside Raff, will reportedly continue as a solo showrunner for Season 20, which is expected to air on NBC next year. New seasons typically premiere in late May.
“I never thought I’d get 19 years,” Raff told Deadline about his history on the show. “It’s definitely bittersweet because I love the show and all of the crew that work on it. It came as a surprise to me [when they asked me to leave], they’d have to explain it but I was told it was the budget.”
Raff also owns Furry Prawn Productions, and has worked on shows such as The Wall and The Clash of Choirs. According to Deadline, he’s now looking for new projects.
This isn’t the first we’ve heard of budget concerns at America’s Got Talent. A recent report by Life & Style magazine claimed that the show was struggling to find the budget to renew the celebrity judges’ multimillion-dollar contracts.
An insider suggested that Simon Cowell could hire new talent to replace the current judges — Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara. Another report suggested that Vergara was in particular danger of being replaced, as she reportedly makes $10 million per season.
How do you feel about these rumored budget cuts at AGT? Would you watch the show with different judges? Do you think the show will suffer with one less showrunner? Let us know in the comments below.
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Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
