Americas Got Talent: Simon Cowell Teases His Golden Buzzers in Season 21

Simon Cowell is in a great mood. He’s celebrating a decade as a judge on America’s Got Talent, the series he launched 20 years ago. And the competition show, which kicks off with two-hour audition rounds on June 2, has the staying power of a true summer smash.

His costars — fellow judges Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara, and Melanie “Mel B” Brown, and host Terry Crews — are all back and excited about their Golden Buzzers, the acts they’ve sent to the live shows. For Cowell, though, the thrill comes from shooting in the historic 3,000-seat Pasadena Civic Auditorium. “I still pinch myself every time the studio barrier opens,” he admits. “I never take it for granted.”

As new and returning talents vie for the $1 million, Cowell gets honest about what exhilarating turns lie ahead.

You’re shooting Season 21 right now. How’s it feeling so far?

Simon Cowell: I was thinking about it, because what I love about the show is it does have a purpose. We’re trying to find someone who we can change their lives for the better. And interestingly, this year, one of the best acts was someone who came on about three or four years ago and did well, but I said to them, “Your act’s too small.” He took it on board, came back, and nailed it. I would guarantee, off the back of this, he is going to have a residency in Vegas.

That’s so exciting.

And then you always have those great Golden Buzzer moments, which we fight over because we all want the best ones. [Laughs] When you’re in AGT, in that environment, I look at the audience, the acts, the people I work with, and everyone’s really happy. And I think that’s why I love doing the show.

Who wouldn’t want to surround themselves with that kind of joy?

That’s exactly it. It’s a happy place to be. We have a family who come in every year, and they bought a desk online, so they watch the show behind the desk—they come to every taping. And then I have my favorite audience member, Beverly, who’s a nurse. Every day off, she dresses in purple and comes to the show. I just really enjoy the tapings now. I try to get the crowd more and more involved. Let them know they’re not just there to watch it. They’re there to judge it with us, because I feed off their energy.

Have you found your Golden Buzzers?

I’ve got two. I can’t give them away. They’re really, really good. I always get nervous. “Are we going to run out of talent?” And then every year somebody just comes along, and you just go, “Wow, I’ve never seen that before.”

There’s a new element coming mid-season, the Judges’ Callbacks round. Can you explain it and why you added it this year?

One question I get asked a lot is, “How do you decide who makes it through to the live shows?” We’ve been trying to be more transparent year after year, and then we said, “Let’s just show the audience how we get to that place.”

You have your Golden Buzzers, and there are about 44 spots [for the live shows]. When you watch the tapes back, there’s about, say, 20 acts, which I call the no-brainers. Then we have the maybes — these are acts who we think have got potential, and in an ideal world, you’d want to see again. So, effectively, that’s what we’ve done. Each judge has chosen a number of acts they want to see. I think I’m seeing six. And then I might put all of mine through, or I might put one through. Whoever we feel has done enough to merit being in the live show.

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Plus, you get a chance to mentor them, which is your specialty.

They come to my house, and I can give them a bit more advice this way. I’m excited about doing it; I get to tell them next week. Sometimes I get frustrated because I really wish I could do a little more, but this way I can.

Please accept our apology on behalf of TV Guide Magazine: In 2013, we published the “60 Nastiest TV Villains of All Time,” and you were No. 10! You ranked above both Joffrey from Game of Thrones and Wile E. Coyote. What have you done differently on AGT to shake that onscreen persona?

Wow, that’s brilliant. [Laughs] Honestly, when I first did American Idol, about 90 percent of the people I saw were terrible. Genuinely. So, I was just surprised. And I was worried if we didn’t find a star that the show wouldn’t work. Over the years, maybe casting got better, or people are just used to the fact that you can be honest rather than patronizing; a lot of people on these shows, they’re telling everyone they’re a superstar. It’s hard to be a star. Honesty really does help.

How much longer do you see yourself at the helm of AGT?

At some point, realistically, I’ve got to hand over the reins. That’s going to happen; the question is when. But the show is going to live on.

America’s Got Talent, Season 21 Premiere, Tuesday, June 2, 8/7c, NBC