Howard Stern Says He Is Leaving ‘AGT’, Suggests Simon Cowell As Replacement
It is not the first time Howard Stern has suggested that he would be leaving America’s Got Talent, but this time he claims it is really happening. On his radio show today, Stern said that he had been asked by NBC to commit for next season. “I told them, this is my last season,” Stern said. ‘I am going though my own career evaluation right now. I’m just too f**ing busy.” Stern indicated that he had been presented with a new “great opportunity” in TV, which contributed to his decision to depart AGT after four seasons. Stern even anointed a possible successor on the judging panel, AGT executive producer Simon Cowell, who has served as a judge on the UK version of the show. “Simon Cowell wants it anyway. He would be good at it,” Stern said.
Shock jock Stern was considered a big get for NBC when he joined the show in 2012 for a reported paycheck of $15 million a season. The network even moved production of AGT from Los Angeles to New York to accommodate Stern’s duties on his daily morning talk show on SiriusXM. Stern’s previous statements that he would depart had been chalked up to contract negotiations as he ended up re-upping his season-to-season deals the past three years.
NBC had no comment.
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