America's Got Talent made major headlines at the end of Season 14 when the two newest judges, Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough, were controversially dropped after one season. While the circumstances that led to their firings are still being debated, AGT has landed on its two replacement judges. One will return to the judges' table while the other is a newcomer. Here's who's on the way!
Heidi Klum is rejoining Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel after taking a break from judging a regular season of America's Got Talent. As for the newcomer, AGT fans can look forward to seeing Modern Family's Sofia Vergara jump from ABC to NBC to help Klum, Cowell, and Mandel evaluate the most (and least) talented hopefuls who come to the show. The rumors were true!
Sofia Vergara, who won't leave the small screen after all despite the upcoming end of Modern Family after a very long run, weighed in on how it feels to join America's Got Talent:
I’m so happy to join my new family on ‘AGT.' This is a new and exciting next chapter for me and I’m extremely proud to be the first Latin judge on the show. I can’t wait to watch all the talent and have fun with all you guys.
Sofia Vergara seems very excited to join the AGT team and bring a fresh perspective to judging the contestants, and she's not the only one. Heidi Klum stated that Vergara joining America's Got Talent is "the icing on an already delicious cake," while NBC Entertainment's president of Alternative and Reality TV Meredith Ahr said that Vergara's energy and wit "blend perfectly with returning favorites."
Meredith Ahr also named reasons why Sofia Vergara is a good fit, saying that as "a respected actress and successful entrepreneur," Vergara "embodies the American dream that is synonymous with AGT’s transformative stage."
Sofia Vergara should certainly shake up the dynamic in some interesting ways, given that the rest of the Season 15 team (including host Terry Crews) are all veterans at this point. Some fresh blood could be a very good thing, especially after the events that allegedly resulted in Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough's firings. Vergara also is a big name on the small screen, so anything she has to say about her treatment at AGT (good or bad) could carry a lot of weight.
As for Heidi Klum, she won't be out of AGT practice when the time comes to start Season 15. Although she left as a judge on regular seasons of America's Got Talent after Season 13 (which also saw the departure of Mel B), she served as a judge on the second seaason of America's Got Talent: The Champions.
Unfortunately for any AGT fans energized by the news of Sofia Vergara signing on and Heidi Klum returning, America's Got Talent won't return for Season 15 on NBC until the summer. You can catch Vergara over on ABC in the meantime in the final run of Modern Family's final season with new episodes on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET. For more viewing options now and in the not-too-distant future, check out our 2020 winter and spring premiere schedule.
