Heidi Klum is returning to the America’s Got Talent judges’ table for a special appearance as Simon Cowell continues his recovery from back surgery.
The former longtime AGT judge will step in for Cowell on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, joining Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara and Mel B for the latest round of Season 21 live shows.
Klum’s return comes as America’s Got Talent continues using rotating guest judges during Cowell’s temporary absence.
Special three-hour AGT episode planned
NBC will air the September 8 edition as a three-hour live event beginning at 8pm ET/PT, combining performances and results into a single night.
The first two hours will feature contestants performing live, while viewers will be able to vote for their favourite acts during the broadcast.
Voting is scheduled to close at 10:05pm ET/7:05pm PT, shortly after the performance portion concludes.
The programme will then move immediately into a one-hour results show, during which the votes will be revealed and the field narrowed to the Top 16 acts remaining in the competition.
Host Terry Crews has also announced that the episode will feature the final Golden Buzzer of the season, adding another major decision to Klum’s night back on the panel.
Why Simon Cowell is missing AGT
Cowell is temporarily away from America’s Got Talent after undergoing what has been described as routine, non-emergency back surgery.
The procedure could not be postponed and is expected to keep the 66-year-old television personality away from the Season 21 live shows for several weeks while he recovers.
Rather than permanently replacing him during his absence, AGT has turned to a series of guest judges.
Saturday Night Live veteran Kenan Thompson became the first to take Cowell’s seat, appearing for the September 1 and 2 shows before Klum’s scheduled return the following week.
Heidi Klum returns to familiar territory
For Klum, stepping behind the AGT judges’ desk again will be a return to a role she knows well.
The German-American model and television personality originally joined the programme for Season 8 in 2013 and remained a judge through Season 13 in 2018.
She later returned in 2020 for Season 15 and remained on the main series through Season 19 in 2024 before leaving to host the reboot of Project Runway.
Klum has also been a major presence across the wider AGT franchise, serving as a judge on spin-offs including America’s Got Talent: The Champions, AGT: All-Stars and AGT: Fantasy League.
Her September 8 appearance will reunite her with longtime fellow judge Howie Mandel and former colleagues Sofía Vergara and Mel B.
Cowell is expected to return to America’s Got Talent once he has sufficiently recovered from surgery, although an exact date for his return to the judges’ table has not yet been announced.
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