It's official. After a few months of speculation, NBC has announced that America's Got Talent judge Heidi Klum is exiting the show ahead of season 20. She's been a staple and one of the sweeter panelists on the reality talent series for years now, so her absence is definitely going to be felt. The model will be replaced by her fellow former judge on the panel, Spice Girls alum Mel B.
According to Deadline, an exact reason for this exit wasn't given, though it could have to do with her reality series Project Runway, which she hosted on Bravo from 2004 to 2017. The network has decided to bring the show back for season 21, which premieres July 31, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET with two episodes on Freeform. Episodes will also stream on Disney+ and Hulu.
Heidi Klum's exit could be because of NBC's major cost cuts
So with her commitment to Project Runway, many of us fans assumed Klum wouldn't be able to do both shows at the same time. Even though she actually did just that from 2013 to 2017. So, there's actually another reported reason why Klum exited the show. According to Deadline, it could have been "a business decision as Klum commands one of the top salaries in reality TV."
If this really is true, the news honestly is not shocking at all given how NBC made big and major cuts this year. The network surprisingly cancelled so many shows in preparation for the 2025-2026 television season including Night Court, The Irrational, and Found. And even dramas like the Law & Order franchise that did get renewals are seeing significant cost cuts all around. The main cast is still in contract negotiations, but NBC is expecting them to see salary cuts and have them appear in less episodes. When the main cast members aren't in every single episode or have less screen time in some, that means they can be paid less.
It's a big and drastic measure, and it's disappointing when stuff like this happens. So if the network has perhaps chosen to let Klum go because of her high salary, unfortunately that's not surprising at all given the decisions the company has made this go around. We didn't expect such drastic measures, and it was quite the shock for scripted series'. But because of that news coming first, it's not hard to believe that salary expectations definitely could have played a role in this move with Klum being made.
Klum took on judging duties for the first time in season 8 alongside Mel B. The two left the show after season 13 before the model returned just a season later in season 15 when Sofia Vergara first joined. Mel B's return now marks the first time she comes back since leaving. America's Got Talent season 20 premieres May 27, 2025 on NBC.