WATCH Terry Crews Welcome Kenan Thompson As ‘AGT’ Judge Replacing Simon Cowell
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While Simon Cowell is recovering from back surgery, AGT has had to find guest judges to replace him on the panel for the live shows. Last week, Kelly Clarkson filled in for him. This week, there’s a new famous face appearing on the show.
It was just announced that Kenan Thompson will be sitting in Simon’s chair for this week’s live episodes. Read on to find out how Kenan reacted to the gig, and when we can expect Simon back on the show.
Kenan Thompson Fills In For Simon On ‘AGT’
On Monday afternoon, the official AGT Twitter account announced that Kenan would be a guest judge on this week’s shows, starting Tuesday night on NBC. Kenan reposted the announcement to his own account, writing, “Literally can not wait!!!!”
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You probably know Kenan best from his long-running gig on Saturday Night Live, as well as his roles on Nickelodeon series All That and Kenan and Kel in the ’90s. Kenan also has experience judging talent shows, as he was on the panel for NBC’s comedy competition Bring the Funny.
The AGT family is happy to welcome Kenan to the panel. Host Terry Crews posted a video saying he’s excited to have Kenan on the show, calling him “my man.” Judge Howie Mandel also shared a video from his trailer sharing the news, joking, “Please don’t tell anyone. We’re not releasing it. Surprise!”
When Will Simon Cowell Be Back On The Show?
Earlier this month, Simon Cowell fell off an electric bike and broke his back in multiple places. He underwent surgery to place a metal rod in his back. Obviously, he had to take some time off from judging AGT.
The show has been lucky to get judges like Kenan and Kelly Clarkson on such short notice. Meanwhile, Simon’s fellow judges think he might be back on the show very soon. Howie recently said “there may be a Simon sighting before the end of the season.”
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According to People, Simon is back home with his family in Malibu. After last week’s live show, he tweeted his thanks to Kelly for filling in, calling it a “great show” and writing, “Miss all of you.”
A lot of fans miss Simon, too. During last week’s episode, many viewers tweeted that the show simply wasn’t the same without him on the panel, although many also enjoyed Kelly’s presence. It’ll be fun to see how the dynamic changes with Kenan at the table.
