America's Got Talent Shake-Up: Gabrielle Union, Julianne Hough and Terry Crews Join Season 14
America’s Got Talent is shaking things up.
The show has appointed a new host and updated its judging panel heading into season 14, Variety announced Monday.
Terry Crews, who currently hosts The Champions iteration of the NBC talent competition show, will take over hosting duties from Tyra Banks.
Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough will serve as new judges, joining returning judges Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel. Mel B and Heidi Klum will not be returning as judges.
“One of the many secrets to the success and longevity of America’s Got Talent is its fearless drive to reinvent itself,” Meredith Ahr, president of the alternative and reality group at NBC Entertainment, told Variety in a statement. “The next evolution of the format brings in fresh expert eyes to join Simon and Howie on the panel. Gabrielle and Julianne are two of the most aspirational women in the business, on top of being electric entertainers with talent across disciplines. I am excited to see how their knowledge, compassion and sheer joy enhance the experience for acts and viewers alike. As their partner in crime, host Terry Crews will continue to light up the stage with his quick wit and unending charm.”
The news comes after the New York Post‘s Page Six reported in December that Banks, who has hosted AGT since 2017, would be leaving the gig to focus on producing TV and movies. (Reps for the show and Banks did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment at the time.)
Banks, 45, had recently hinted that she might be leaving AGT to focus on a “massive project.”
“I don’t know [if I’ll be coming back],” she told Access in November. “I think I had a really nice run with AGT. I had a lot, a lot of fun. I’m really focusing on Life-Size — I’m going to be producing TV and I have a massive project starting next year. I’m not so sure, but if I don’t come back, I had a lot of fun.”
