‘America’s Got Talent’ Judges Sound Off on Simon Cowell Joining Panel

Simon Cowell is coming back to American television this summer, joining the judges on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” following Howard Stern’s departure of the hit summer series. “It was worth the wait to come back to this,” Cowell said on a Friday panel promoting “America’s Got Talent” at NBC’s annual Summer Press Tour. Cowell, the co-creator of “America’s Got Talent” and the creator of the global “Got Talent” franchise, revealed that he was offered a judging gig on “AGT” five years ago, but he wasn’t available — but it was a more recent event that made him realize he did in fact want to sit on the panel. “When I came down to watch the show being filmed, I was sitting in the audience thinking, ‘They are very good, this panel.’ I was kind of hoping one of them would hurt themselves so I could go, ‘I’m here!’ because it really looks so much fun, this show,” Cowell joked, recalling a time when he watched Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Mel B and the “AGT” crew at a show at Radio City Music Hall. Mandel admitted he wasn’t sure what to expect with Cowell coming on board — after all, he is the boss. “You have a reputation that precedes you,” Mandel said, speaking to Cowell. “It is more fun than we have ever had in the history of this show. We didn’t know that you were going to enjoy yourself so much. If we’re all enjoying ourselves, we feel like we’re at the best party in the world.” Klum shares the same sentiment for the former “Americal Idol” tough guy. “We are laughing more,” she said. Cowell, who insists the crop of talent is one of the best he’s ever seen, expressed similar feelings for his fellow judges and host Nick Cannon, who was also on the panel. “I was the new boy in town,” he said. “These guys…they have been so much fun to work with and actually so good about what they do.”