Simon Cowell Teases a Big Change for 'America's Got Talent' Season 18

 

The judges will remain the same (Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara), but the Golden Buzzer will change.

When America's Got Talent returns for its 18th season tonight, it will feature the same judging panel as the previous three seasons: Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, and Sofia Vergara, who joined in season 15, and, of course, a smorgasbord of talent from around the world, including singers, comics, magicians, and danger acts.

"I'm always thinking, 'What if we run out of talent?'" "We don't have a show," Simon told Parade in a one-on-one interview. "Then these people fly in from all over the world and from all over America." Most of these people do not do this full-time; they have regular jobs and then do these amazing things on the side. And that's always been my favorite aspect of the show. The show is completely dependent on the talent and the people, not on the judges or anyone else. And it's incredible to be a judge and witness those magical moments."

The Golden Buzzer will be different this season. Normally, one per judge, but host Terry Crews gets to weigh in as well, and there has been a Group Golden Buzzer in recent seasons. But this season, thanks to a gaffe by Bruno Tonioli, who was judging Britain's Got Talent for the first time and hit his Golden Buzzer a second time—he didn't realize he only got one—Simon decided he could, too.

"Well, let's put it this way, we slightly broke the rules this year," Simon admitted. He also claims to have more Golden Buzzers than usual—acts who automatically advance to the live show portion of the competition and are voted on by America.

"It happened in the U.K. because it happened," he explained. "This weekend in the United Kingdom, we awarded the eighth Golden Buzzer of the year." If we hadn't given this person a Golden Buzzer, I would have felt terrible watching it back. So we've given out more this year, and I don't think there's a single person watching who'll say, 'They shouldn't have had that,' because when they're that good and you're in the moment, you don't think about it. 

Speaking of Golden Buzzers, Simon has chosen his for this season, and he says she's incredible.

"I believe this is the beginning of something very, very special for her," he said. "What's fascinating about the show is that it delivers on its promise." Everyone is now coming on the show because they want to be in Vegas, in my opinion. And there are so many people who have had their dreams come true. As a result, I believe that is why people now fly in from all over the world to compete. Because everything changes if one of these auditions goes viral, which they do."

During our conversation, Simon also discussed what it's like to make people's dreams come true; how he feels about performing when the acts call him to the stage; what he enjoys about working with Howie, Heidi, and Sofia; the new, as-yet-untitled America's Got Talent, which will premiere this winter; the bad habit he gave up for his son Eric; and his long-running wedding plans.

If I'm being honest, I think surprise is more important than anything else. We have no idea who will appear on the show, so being surprised and having them be brilliant is the best feeling in the world. That's something I enjoy, and it's something the show continues to provide year after year after year. It's not just the acts, but also the audience. And now they come from all over the world to compete, and it's absolutely fascinating to watch.

What's it like to help make people's dreams come true? You did it on Idol, for example, look at Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. The same is true for Terry Fator, Shin Lim, and other AGT contestants.

I've been extremely fortunate. One Direction's Harry Styles is a good example of someone who is doing well. It would be pointless for me to do this show if nothing happened at the end. It would be soul-crushing. You have to understand that if they make it to the finals and win, there's a very good chance that something amazing will happen in their lives, similar to what happened to last year's winners, the Mayyas, when they danced with Beyoncé. It truly is as if dreams have come true.

You've had several panel changes since the show's inception; what makes this panel with Sofia, Heidi, and Howie the ideal mix of judges?

They're a lot of fun to work with, and they're very enthusiastic about the talent. They are not distracted by their cell phones. They're all focused on the audition, wanting to learn more about the people, because that's what they're paid to do, and everyone has an opinion. This year, I believe you will see more of us disagree, but in a good way, because not everyone likes the same thing.

After something like that, they have to halt production because you need to shower and change. You weren't aware that they had planned for extra time?

Every day, we have no idea what is going to happen, and I truly mean that. I'm not interested in learning anything. As a result, when things happen, they happen.

You lost your voice at the start of this season. How difficult was it for you not to be able to comment? And how long did it last? Will there be more than one episode?

I'm not sure how many episodes there were, but it was torture. I literally couldn't say anything, so I had to sit there. I attempted to write

There's always something wrong with you, with the bike accidents and the loss of your voice.

Yes, precisely.

In terms of your bike, have you stopped riding it? Has your son Eric persuaded you to stop riding?

No, I was gone for an hour this morning. I enjoy doing it every morning.

Have you given up any bad habits in his honor?

I have. I've given up smoking. Hallelujah.. And let me tell you, it was difficult, but thanks to him, I've stopped. I'm not going to lie, it makes a huge difference in how I feel.

So, this winter, there will be another season of America's Got Talent. It does not yet have a title. Is there anything you can imply about it?

We haven't finished working on it yet, but I really like the initial concept of involving the audience in the selection of the acts. And I thought, yeah, that's really cool, in one sentence. So that's how we got started.

So, will there be something on a website where people can vote on who they want to return?

From watching AGT: Extreme, it appears that the dangerous acts are your favorites. Would you agree with that? Because, given your musical background, it appears that you prefer singers.

It's kind of like a horror movie; you shouldn't like horror movies, but you do. And it's the same with dangerous acts; you're like, "I shouldn't like this," but you do. It's all very interesting, with the sword swallowers and such. And it's fascinating when it's right in front of you.

And AGT is the only show that allows these people to demonstrate their abilities in order to be hired in Las Vegas.

That's exactly what I realized. It's no longer just about the grand prize. It's because if you get a good audition on the show, these clips can now reach hundreds of millions of people. So, I believe, that is why so many people are auditioning for the show now, because just by auditioning, your life can completely change overnight. I've witnessed it. I believe they are all aware of this now, and as a result, they all bring their A-game to the auditions. This year will provide you with some mind-blowing experiences. I honestly couldn't believe it.