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Howard Stern Leaving ‘America’s Got Talent’, Planning Another TV Gig

By Jonathan Franks
Published on: 06:31 PST, Jun 24, 2015

Howard Stern will reportedly step away from the America’s Got Talent judging panel for good at the end of its current season.

According to Us Weekly, the 61-year-old radio show host will not return for the 11th season of the hit NBC reality competition series.

Howard Stern first joined America’s Got Talent in 2012. Stern made headlines with his decision to join the televised competition, because of the network’s accommodations that came along with it.

Instead of continuing to film the show’s live episodes in Los Angeles, NBC moved the production to New York City so that Howard Stern would not have to stop working on his Sirius radio show. Stern has made his uncertainties about his future with the show clear in past interviews.

According to Us Weekly, the award-winning radio show host talked about his internal conflict and struggles to make a decision in 2013 before the start of his third season.

“I really, really did struggle… because I’ve been working a long time. I really wanted to decide if this was going to take away too much free time. Did I really still enjoy doing it? Did I have something to say? Is it something I should be involved with still?”

However, Stern made it clear in a promotional press release for the show’s tenth season that it would be selfish for him to walk away.

“I decided that a life without AGT is not a life worth living. America needs a caring, compassionate and wise judge and who am I to deny the people what they want? It would be selfish of me to walk away.”

NBC reportedly gave Howard Stern a July 4 deadline to determine whether or not he will be renewing his contract for the show’s 11th season, since the network needs to work on booking venue locations for future auditions.

Stern has apparently decided to opt out and walk away from the show when his existing contract runs out.

What is up next for Howard Stern? Where will his post-AGT career lead him?

In addition to staying on-board with Sirius to host his popular radio show, Stern reportedly teased that he has plans for another opportunity on the small-screen.

During his radio show on Wednesday, Howard Stern suggested that Simon Cowell — the show’s producer — should consider filling the empty space on the judge’s panel for the upcoming season.

[Image Credit: Jason Kempin / Getty Images]

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