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Howard Stern To Be Replaced By Simon Cowell In Next Season of ‘AGT,’ ‘X-Factor’ Judge Says He’s ‘Really Thrilled’

By Val Powell
Published on: 00:52 PST, Oct 23, 2015

Howard Stern will truly be missed after leading the judges panel of America’s Got Talent for four seasons. However, it seems the management has already moved on and has chosen X-Factor judge Simon Cowell to take his position on the show.

The 56-year-old TV judge and mentor was ecstatic when he posted the news on his Twitter account.

“The good news is America’s Got Talent is back next year and the even better news is so am I!” said Cowell in his social media account.

According to NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt, they are also pleased that the show’s creator, who has long been its executive producer, will finally become one of the show’s four judges. Gaining ideas from the long-running singing sensation search American Idol, Cowell came up with a format that included other acts aside from singing.

With the help of Fremantle Media, which was also producing the Idol series, AGT premiered in 2006 and is en route to its 11th season next year. In an interview, the London-born TV judge said that while he’s had talks in the past about judging in the show, there were always scheduling conflicts that got in the way.

“We’ve been talking about it for a few years, funny enough, me and NBC. This year… everything worked. So it was perfect,” the X-Factor judge said.

However, it seems like there are comments stating that no one can replace Stern as head of the judge panel.

On the show The Talk, Sharon Osbourne mentioned, “I honestly think that no one can fill that seat after Howard Stern.”

Meanwhile, co-host Sara Gilbert disagrees and says that she wants to watch a “smug Englishman.”

Stern, 61, announced back in June that America’s Got Talent Season 10 would be his swan song, and he won’t be back.

When Stern returned for the show’s ninth season, the American DJ and TV personality said that he has been working for a long time and that he has contemplated whether or not he was still enjoying what he was doing.

Another report mentioned that Stern could soon retire from the business once his contract with Sirius expires.

The New York City native began his career in the radio industry in 1976 and slowly shifted to the music and television niche later on. However, now that Stern has officially left the show, it was critical for AGT to find someone who could fill his shoes.

In the report, Simon Cowell will team up with the show’s judges, Howie Mandel, Melanie B, and Heidi Klum, although no official list has been released yet. Cowell also released an official statement about NBC’s announcement.

“I am really thrilled to be joining America’s Got Talent next season,” he said. “What I love about this show is that it’s open to absolutely anyone. America has some fantastic talent just waiting to be discovered, and I would like that talent to come to our show, including any dogs who can sing!”

As far as his “nasty persona” is concerned, Cowell said that he will try to bring it back when he makes his debut on the show next year. This came amidst reports that the British personality has softened after the birth of his first son, Eric, last year.

In addition to being the head of the judges’ panel, another change that Cowell would bring to the show is to move it from New York to Los Angeles.

AGT has been shooting in New York for the last few seasons to accommodate Howard Stern’s schedule.

[Images by Jeff Schear, Neilson Barnard; Getty Images]

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