Jake’s Take: “America’s Got Talent: Season 13” Judge Cuts Wish List

 

By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com

This coming Tuesday, the America’s Got Talent: Season 12 Judge Cuts conclude as Heidi Klum welcomes her ex-husband, Seal, to the show.

Over the past two seasons, AGT has seen some incredible guest judges such as George Lopez, Marlon Wayans, Neil Patrick Harris, Reba, and former judge Piers Morgan put impeccable acts into the Live Shows.  However, many fans have spoken out on social media on the lack of star power from this season’s Judge Cuts.

To improve the Judge Cuts round for Season 13, here are 13 names that Simon Cowell and the America’s Got Talent production team should consider using next year as Guest Judges:

 

Boy George

The Celebrity Apprentice runner-up has sold over 100 million singles and 50 million albums worldwide by himself and with the Culture Club. Also, he has been a coach on both The Voice UK and The Voice Australia and had experience on the Great White Way with Taboo. Boy George might steal the show with his critiques, and if the right act appears, it could lead to one of the most memorable Golden Buzzer moments in AGT history.

 

Christina Aguilera

With 50 million records sold worldwide, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, six Grammy Awards, and eight Billboard Music Awards, Christina Aguilera is one of her generation’s greatest performers. The Queen of The Voice has been absent from both performance based competitions and the Peacock Network for way too long and being a guest judge for the Season 13 Judge Cuts would be a great opportunity for her to return to the network.  What makes Xtina a potentially great judge is that she has a keen eye-and-ear for talent (ask Alisan Porter, Chris Mann, Frenchie Davis, Jacquie Lee, and Kimberly Nichole for references)! Christina Aguilera’s presence would not only ignite the show, but it could lead to a diva-versus-divo showdown if she rubs Simon Cowell the wrong way and could give pretenders one of her epic tongue lashings (ask Tony Lucca and Melanie Martinez about their experience).

 

Jerry Springer

For two seasons, the iconic talk show host acted as America’s Got Talent emcee. Jerry Springer also returned to the franchise to host the nationwide tour multiple times throughout the years. I think it would be good for Simon and crew to reward Mr. Springer for his hard work for the franchise by giving him the opportunity to press the Golden Buzzer.

 

Maksim Chmerkovskiy

Friend to the blog and 16-time Dancing with the Stars professional dancer could turn up the America’s Got Talent: Season 13 Judge Cuts’ temperature by 1000 degrees. He has great chemistry with Mel B and could challenge Simon in the lothario category. In all seriousness, Maks has a plethora of experience in the dance industry including performing and creating numerous dance performance shows and could lend his expertise in making sure that dance acts have a stronger presence in the Season 13 live shows.

 

Nicole Scherzinger

The former Pussycat Doll and I Can Do That winner has a great working relationship with Mr. Cowell. She was part of the inaugural X Factor USA judges team and has mentored hopefuls in five seasons of The X Factor UK. In fact, some of her acts that she coached such as James Arthur and Matt Terry have made some impact on the international music market. I believe that her fiery passion for talent and her presence along with her exuberant vocabulary could elevate the Season 13 Judge Cuts to the next level.

 

Randy Jackson

Speaking of old coworkers, the Dawg worked with Simon Cowell on nine seasons of the FOX run of American Idol. He, along with Cowell, Paula Abdul, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, are responsible for turning Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert, Haley Reinhart, and Jessica Sanchez into household names. In addition to Idol, Randy Jackson also worked with the biggest names in music including Aretha Franklin, Bruce Springsteen, Journey, and former client Mariah Carey. It would be fascinating to see how Mr. Jackson could incorporate his signature catch phrases: “DAWG,” “pitchy,” and “in it to win it!” into the Judge Cuts round.

 

Regis Philbin

If there is anyone that would be more than qualified to sit alongside the Judges during Judge Cuts, it would be Regis Philbin. The former America’s Got Talent host and the Emmy-winning Live with Regis & Kelly co-host has six decades of interacting with talent and knows the difference from pretenders and superstars. Regis’ discovery of a Golden Buzzer-worthy act could be the final part of his tremendous legacy in the entertainment industry.

 

Rosie O’Donnell

The Emmy and Grammy-award winning talk show host would be an excellent guest judge.  Ms. O’Donnell has mastered numerous mediums such as film, radio, theatre, and television throughout her 38-year career in the entertainment industry. She could also be one of the most encouraging guest judges that AGT has ever had, and her soft spot for young performers might make her a strong candidate to play a role in Mr. Cowell’s show.

 

Sharon Osbourne

Want former viewers to return to AGT?  Bring back Mrs. O for the Judge Cuts round! The Talk co-host and winning X Factor UK mentor was America’s Got Talent’s Grand Dame for six seasons, and she is still beloved by the show’s fan base. In addition to having a great taste in talent (see Terry Fator, Barbara Padilla, Jackie Evancho, Fighting Gravity, and Team iLuminate), Mrs. O has worked with numerous musical acts such as the Smashing Pumpkins, Lita Ford, Gary Moore, and Black Sabbath as a music manager. Another plus is that Mrs. O’s potential return would be the first time that Simon and Sharon Osbourne judged a USA talent competition together.

 

Stephen “tWitch” Boss

If Simon wants to have someone that knows what the contestants are going through to sit at the Judges’ Desk during the crucial AGT round, one candidate could be Stephen “tWitch” Boss. While “tWitch” appeared on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project and Star Search, his career skyrocketed after coming in second place during So You Think You Can Dance’s fourth season. He appeared in numerous films on the Silver Screen such as the Step-Up franchise and the Magic Mike sequel. Also, he also served as the DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show for multiple seasons. But he is not the only So You Think You Can Dance alum that Simon could ask…

 

Travis Wall

Friend to the blog, Emmy-winning choreographer Travis Wall, is another, So You Think You Can Dance alum that could be a great judge for the Season 13 Judge Cuts’ round. Throughout his impeccable career, Travis has worked with some of the best rising stars in the dance industry and developed remarkable routines that have been performed on So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing with the Stars, MTV’s Video Music Awards, and even the Oscars. Also, Travis has revolutionized the dance industry with his dance company, Shaping Sound, which he co-founded with lifelong friends Nick Lazzarini, Teddy Forance, and Kyle Robinson. I believe that Travis could be a guiding light to the latest generation of dancers and he could help guide Simon and the Judges in picking the right dancers to be sent to the Dolby Theatre live shows.

 

Wendy Williams

One of the most opinionated women in the entertainment industry concludes this wish list. This Emmy-nominated talk show has made strides in the radio, television, and fashion industries. The Queen of Hot Topics would be an ideal candidate to sit alongside Simon and the judges because Wendy is a straight shooter and if she does not like an act, Wendy will not be hesitant to buzz an act! Also, her appearance could not only bring new viewers to AGT, but it could lead to endless hours of entertainment on her digital app and talk show.

What do you think of my picks? Is there a celebrity that you would like to see judge future seasons of “America’s Got Talent: Judge Cuts”?