If you watched Tuesday’s Season 20 premiere of America’s Got Talent, you probably noticed that longtime judge Heidi Klum was absent from the show’s panel. Klum chose not to return to the show this season, as former judge Mel B returned to take her place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv6EXVLCNTw
Why Isn’t Heidi Klum a Judge on America’s Got Talent?
Klum’s absence from AGT Season 20 didn’t come out of nowhere. When the judging lineup was announced back in February, the show made it clear that Klum would be replaced on the panel by Mel B. However, fans had already suspected that Klum might be leaving.
In January, it was announced that Klum would be returning to host Season 21 of Project Runway. Klum was the original host of the fashion design competition, before leaving in 2018. The new season of the show premieres July 31 on Freeform — streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
AGT has not made it clear whether a scheduling conflict was the reason for Klum’s absence this season. However, sources told Deadline that her departure might have been “a business decision as Klum commands one of the top salaries in reality TV.”
Klum is also the host and executive producer of Germany’s Next Topmodel. Season 20 of the modeling competition is currently airing, with the finale scheduled for June 19.
Although many AGT fans are undoubtedly sad that Klum is absent from this season of the show, they might be happy to know that Klum and fellow judge Sofia Vergara have remained friends. Last week, Klum posted a photo of the pair on Instagram.
“Amore mio,” Klum captioned the picture, in which both women wear sunglasses as they pose with water behind them. Klum shows off a toothy grin as she rests her head on Vergara’s shoulder. This is Vergara’s first season without Klum next to her at the AGT judges’ table.
However, things seem to be working out. Vergara told NBC Insider that she and Mel B “just fit in together.” She explained, “I was nervous a little bit because I thought I was gonna be missing Heidi because she’s been on since the first season, but it’s been great.”
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
