On Tuesday night, America’s Got Talent aired its first live show of the season, without Simon Cowell at the judges’ table. Simon injured his back over the weekend and is recovering from surgery.
The show welcomed The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson to fill in for the music mogul on the panel. But what did fans think of the first AGT episode in years not to feature Simon Cowell?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Da16gBK_zM
The live shows start with Kelly Clarkson filling in for Simon Cowell.
Fans Miss Simon Cowell On ‘AGT’
This might come as a surprise, considering Simon’s long-running reputation for being mean, but a lot of fans seemed to miss hearing his critiques. A common complaint on Twitter was that the judges were too nice without his brutal honesty.
One fan tweeted that the judges seemed to “love everything” without Simon there to weigh in. Another user missed Simon’s “tough love,” pointing out that Kelly was actually praising the pigs in Pork Chop Revue for “messing up.”
Other fans tweeted that AGT simply wasn’t “the same,” or at least “a little off,” without Simon at the judges’ table. They wished him a speedy recovery so he can get back to judging the acts as soon as possible.
While many fans missed Simon Cowell on Tuesday night’s show, there was also a lot of praise for his replacement Kelly Clarkson. As Yahoo points out, Kelly was an especially helpful addition when judging the night’s singers. They certainly seemed excited to get the chance to talk to her.
Love seeing her on the show! She’s so genuine…keep her on!
I love @kellyclarkson as a person. As a singer. On her tv show, as a coach on #TheVoice and her on #AGT! She is just awesome! She excels in absolutely everything she does. What a queen 👑💕
Some fans even suggested that Kelly should become a permanent fixture on the show, tweeting that AGT should “keep her on” and make her “a regular.” And it sounds like Kelly might be okay with that idea.
“I have waited years for this. I love Simon, but I’m getting really used to this chair, buddy,” the singer joked at the start of the show. “I’m just saying, take your time. I could use another job.”
What did you think of the show without Simon at the judging table? Would you support Kelly Clarkson as a permanent addition to the panel? Let us know in the comments.
Words by:
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
