It's one-and-done for America's Got Talent 2019 judges Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union. They judged alongside Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel in AGT Season 14, but they are not going to return for Season 15 in 2020.
That's the scoop from Variety, which added Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel are expected to return as judges, and Terry Crews is expected back in 2020 to host.
So who will replace Julianne Hough and Gabrielle Union? We don't know yet. Maybe the America's Got Talent: The Champions judges, we'll have to see. It's an abrupt change, though, considering most past judges have had at least a couple of seasons to get used to the gig.
America's Got Talent Season 1 had Regis Philbin as host with Piers Morgan, David Hasselhoff, and Brandy Norwood as judges. Regis and Brandy did not return for Season 2, but Piers and Hasselhoff did, and they were joined by fellow judge Sharon Osbourne, with Jerry Springer stepping in as host. Nick Cannon joined AGT as host in Season 4. Howie Mandel joined AGT as a judge in Season 5 and he's been here ever since. When Piers Morgan left AGT, Howard Stern arrived as a judge in AGT Season 7. The next season, Sharon Osbourne left as judge and both Mel B and Heidi Klum arrived to judge AGT Season 8.
Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel judged together up until last year, when Gabrielle and Julianne Hough were brought in. The only other change was bringing in American Idol's occasionally lovable Grinch Simon Cowell, who replaced Howard Stern in America's Got Talent Season 11. Tyra Banks replaced Nick Cannon as host in AGT Season 12 and Season 13, until Terry Crews arrived this past summer in AGT Season 14.
Phew! Lots of changes. America's Got Talent does sometimes have guest judges as well, including several in Season 14. So fans should probably expect the same in Season 15. Not that NBC has officially renewed AGT for Season 15, but it's still an extremely popular and well-watched show, so it's pretty much a given.
America's Got Talent: The Champions premiered as a spinoff last January and it will return with Season 2 this January 6, 2020. Terry Crews also hosts that show. The judges of Season 2 include Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon.
It's possible America's Got Talent: The Champions judges will go straight to America's Got Talent Season 15 this summer. We'll have to see.
Meanwhile, Gabrille Union is busy with a lead role on L.A.'s Finest, a Bad Boys film offshoot that premiered on Spectrum and will be airing Season 2 in 2020. Julianne Hough can be seen in the Netflix series Heartstrings based on Dolly Parton's songs. She's still best known to many fans as a pro dancer on Dancing With the Stars. Her fellow DWTS alum brother Derek Hough still judges NBC's World of Dance.
America's Got Talent tends to air in the summer, premiering in May or June, so we should expect that to continue with AGT Season 15 in 2020. America's Got Talent: The Champions premieres January 6, 2020 on NBC.
