Heidi Klum returns to America's Got Talent as Simon Cowell AGT temporary replacement for the Sept. 8 show, giving the panel a second guest judge during Cowell's several-week absence. The episode is also moving to a special three-hour live format, with performances and results split across the night.
Klum, 53, first joined the judges' desk in Season 8, stayed through Season 13, returned in 2020 for the 15th season, and remained until Season 19 in 2024. That makes her the most familiar short-term stand-in the show has used while Cowell recovers from routine back surgery.
Kenan Thompson opened the chair
Kenan Thompson filled Cowell's seat first on the Sept. 1 episode, setting up a week-to-week guest-judge rotation rather than a single substitute for the full stretch. The panel now has to absorb a second change in quick succession, which keeps the judging dynamic in motion heading into the live rounds.
Terry Crews told viewers on the Aug. 25 episode, "He's having an operation that cannot be postponed" and "It's not an emergency, but it can't be put off. Simon, we are sending you our very best wishes for a speedy recovery, and we're looking forward to seeing you back at the judges desk very soon." That puts the absence in a narrow lane: serious enough to remove Cowell for weeks, but not framed as a sudden crisis.
Sept. 8 runs three hours
The Sept. 8 show will run for three hours, with two hours of performances followed by a one-hour results segment. Voting stays open during the performance window and closes at 10:05 p.m. ET/7:05pm PT, so the live window is doing real work here instead of serving as a simple broadcast extension.
America's Got Talent returned for its 21st season on June 2, and the season is already moving into the part of the schedule where guest judges can influence how the live show feels without changing the competition's structure. The finale is scheduled for Sept. 23 on NBC, which leaves the show with a short runway to finish Cowell's absence before the season ends.
Heidi Klum's return window
Klum's return is the practical answer for viewers who want the cleanest read on the panel: one regular judge is out, one familiar former judge is back, and the live episode is expanding to make room for results in the same night. For a show that depends on pacing as much as spectacle, the three-hour format and the rotating seat matter more than a one-night novelty.
The open question is simple: how many more guest judges, if any, will fill Cowell's seat before the Sept. 23 finale. For now, the show is choosing familiarity over improvisation, and Klum is the safest move available.
