Gabrielle Union, Julianne Hough Out at ‘America’s Got Talent’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Matt Donnelly
Updated

Click here to read the full article.

Judges Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough are vacating their chairs on NBC’s unscripted series “America’s Got Talent,” Variety can report exclusively.

Union, an NAACP Image award winner and prolific film and TV presence, joined the panel this year with Hough. An NBC spokesperson confirmed that the pair will not return for the 2020 season. Representatives for Union and Hough did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

More from Variety

Union and Hough had replaced longtime judges Melanie Brown (Spice Girls) and model-host Heidi Klum for the show’s 14th season.

Executive producer and judge Simon Cowell, comedian Howie Mandel and host Terry Crews are all expected to come back to the series, said one insider familiar with the production. Judges are often cycled out and return later, added the individual, and the show often features guest judges.

The format travels the country in search of talent across all categories including music, dance, comedy and beyond. Ten million viewers watched this year’s finale on September 18, closing as the highest rated show in the 18-49 demographic. “America’s Got Talent” also counts a “best of” offshoot exclusively featuring past winners, titled “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.”

Union is currently at work on “L.A.’s Finest,” a female reboot of the “Bad Boys” film franchise that helped make her a star. She produces the Spectrum original, renewed this summer for a second season, and toplines the series with Jessica Alba. Hough will next be seen in the Netflix original “Heartstrings,” a series based on the classic songs of country legend Dolly Parton.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.