NBC has confirmed that Howie Mandel has signed on as the third judge of America’s Got Talent for Season 5.
NBC alternative chief Paul Telegdy made the announcement Sunday, stating that Mandel is “passionate about new talent and his years of experience across a variety of disciplines in entertainment, not to mention the fact that he headlines and performs in Vegas all the time, will bring new depth to our panel.”
Mandel will replace David Hasselhoff, who announced his departure from AGT in January in order to pursue a show of his own. Mandel may not be immediately viewed as the best possible choice for a judge on AGT, but with the first open call scheduled only twelve days after Hasselhoff's departure, a thorough vetting process would have been out of the question. Mandel is a surprising choice, but may have been the best available with such short notice given.
At the very least, Mandel can’t possibly be any less professional than Hasselhoff.
As the former host of Deal Or No Deal, Mandel is no stranger to dealing with eccentric and colorful individuals. Mandel also hosted the short-lived hidden camera show Howie Do It, and most recently has opened up on the talk show circuit about his mysophobia and ADHD while promoting his book “Here’s The Deal: Don’t Touch Me.”
Mandel made an appearance on the Jay Leno Show to confirm his placement, and while the symtpoms of his ADHD were readily evident in his behavior, he won support with his pledge to not just judge based on his own personal preferences, but to also take into account his audience, specifically citing his own personal dislike of ventriloquism compared to the success of Terry Fator.
Mandel joined Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne at the table at the at the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 23rd, the first of a still undetermined number of casting calls for AGT’s fifth season.
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