Simon Cowell Opens Up About Historic 'AGT' Format Shake-Up: 'It Was Better Than I Thought' (Exclusive)

It’s a whole new experience on tonight’s America’s Got Talent when for the first time in AGT history, the series is changing the format to introduce the all-new Judges’ Callbacks round, in which each judge – Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Mel B and Sofia Vergara – has personally selected a group of standout acts to compete for the remaining coveted spots in the live shows by performing one more time.

“Once the auditions are over, we have to go back and watch the auditions over and over again to determine who we think should be the finalists and that’s a really hard part of how we do this,” Simon told Parade in an exclusive interview. “So one of the producers said, ‘What if each judge took a number of contestants who they like but would like to see a second time?’ and I thought, ‘Actually that’s a really, really good idea,’ so I held my hand up first, and I said, ‘I’d like to see those contestants. I’d like to get to know them better.’”

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Celebrity guest judges will join each judge as part of the all-new Judges’ Callbacks round, including Spice Girls’ Emma Bunton reuniting with Mel B, comedian Nikki Glaser joining, Lele Pons and Sebastián Yatra teaming up with Sofía, and Normani alongside Poo Bear joining Simon, offering invaluable feedback and guidance as the acts prepare for one additional performance and their last opportunity to earn a spot in the live shows.

Simon Cowell, Normani, Poo Bear on ‘America’s Got Talent’

Photo by&colon; Trae Patton/NBC

“I really learned a lot spending time with them,” Simon continued. “I spent one day with all of them just talking and getting to know a lot about them. Then the following day, they all performed in my garden. It was better than I thought and it was really helpful actually.”

The returning 23 Callback acts will feature a mix of talent including singers, dance groups, standout comedians and unforgettable variety acts. Tonight, we’ll see the performers chosen by Simon and Mel B., with Howie and Heidi’s picks coming next week.

“I think for those contestants — for the audience at home — you’re going to see a side of them you would never would have seen before because I spent about 30-40 minutes with each person, really got to know them and they told me a lot about themselves, why they came on the show, why they want to do this, what they want to do with their lives and their careers, and the decision they made this particular year to come on,” Simon said. “It was really, really fascinating. I really loved getting to know them and then we had this performance in my garden, which was brilliant.”

Filmed in unique locations across Los Angeles and England—including Simon’s Malibu home, Mel B’s hometown of Leeds, Beverly Hills with Sofía Vergara, and Howie Mandel’s podcast studio and the legendary Laugh Factory—the Judges’ Callbacks rounds will blend documentary-style storytelling with the show-stopping performances that AGT fans have come to know and love.

Scroll down to see all of the judges’ callback acts. America’s Got Talent airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, and streams next day on Peacock.

Related: ‘America’s Got Talent’ 2026 Live Show Acts Revealed: Who Made the Cut After Big Format Shake-Up?