Howard Stern is really leaving America’s Got Talent this time. The radio shock jock told listeners Wednesday that he will leave the family-friendly NBC competition after the current season.
Stern has been a judge on the show on a yearly basis, so it always seemed like he could chose to leave at any time - although that $12 million per season paycheck made it hard to leave. He has been on the show since 2012 and agreed to do the current 10th season in December. However, during his SiriusXM radio show yesterday, he made it very clear that he’s done.
“I told them, this is my last season,” Stern said, reports Deadline. “I am going through my own career evaluation right now. I’m just too f**ing busy.”
Stern still called it a “great opportunity” and suggested that Simon Cowell take his place when he’s not judging Britain’s Got Talent.
As Us Weekly, Stern did suggest that he might be interested in another TV job, but it’s not clear what that would be.
Stern replaced Piers Morgan on the judging panel in 2012. The show’s other judges for the current season are Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum. Should Cowell join, it would be a little weird to have three Europeans judging American talent.
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