HOWIE MANDEL, MEL B AND HEIDI KLUM RETURN AS JUDGES FOR NEW SEASON OF "AMERICA'S GOT TALENT" JOINING PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED JUDGE SIMON COWELL

Nick Cannon Returns to Host as #1 Summer Series Returns to Los Angeles to Embark on a Triumphant New 11th Season

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - Jan. 12, 2016 - Howie Mandel, Mel B and Heidi Klum will return as judges to NBC's top-rated summer competition series "America's Got Talent," joining previously announced new judge and "Got Talent" creator Simon Cowell.

Nick Cannon will again assume hosting duties as the show returns to Los Angeles for its live performance and results shows and heads into a milestone second decade on the air.

The announcement was made by Paul Telegdy, President of Alternative and Late-Night Programming, NBC Entertainment.

"Howie, Mel and Heidi have an undeniable chemistry together and bring unbridled energy to everything they do," said Telegdy. "We are very excited to bring them back along with Nick Cannon as host, and with the addition of creator Simon Cowell as a judge, the panel just got a little more interesting. We can't wait for the new season to begin."

"Without sounding too arrogant I am going to call us the Fantastic Four," said Cowell. "I like this panel because they are slightly nuts. And now let's find a star."

"It's great to have Howie, Mel, Heidi and Nick back on AGT and to welcome Simon and his unique judging style. This panel knows how to spot great talent and how to have a lot of fun while doing it. It's going to be an entertaining season!" said Trish Kinane, FremantleMedia North America President of Entertainment Programming and AGT Executive Producer.

Klum and Mel B are returning as judges for their fourth season. Mandel returns for his seventh season.

This past season of "America's Got Talent" on NBC averaged a 2.9 rating, 10 share in adults 18-49 and 12.5 million viewers overall with its Tuesday edition, ranking it the #1 among summer alternative series in total viewers for a 10th consecutive year and delivered its most-watched season in four years.

Auditions for the upcoming season 11 of "America's Got Talent" are currently underway. The hit talent show is making stops in 12 U.S. cities, including Kansas City (Jan. 23), Atlanta (Jan. 30), Los Angeles (Feb. 6), Orlando (Feb. 19) and Dallas (Feb. 27). Full details on the nationwide tour, including additional cities and the ability to audition online now, can be found by visiting www.AGTAuditions.com.

The "Got Talent" format, co-owned by FremantleMedia and Syco Entertainment globally, holds the Guinness World Record as the most successful reality TV format. The show can be seen in 190 markets worldwide with more than 500 million global viewers since it began airing in 2006. "Britain's Got Talent" is the U.K.'s highest rated entertainment show of the century and in 2009, discovered the global singing sensation, Susan Boyle, who has sold 19 million records to date.

"America's Got Talent" is produced by FremantleMedia North America and Syco Entertainment. Simon Cowell, Sam Donnelly, Jason Raff, Trish Kinane and Richard Wallace are the executive producers.

Please visit the official show site at: http://www.nbc.com/agt

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About FremantleMedia North America

FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) is the U.S. arm of global media giant FremantleMedia, which includes a distribution arm, FremantleMedia International, a digital and branded entertainment division and a kids & family entertainment business. As one of the world's largest and most successful creators, producers and distributors of TV brands in the world, FremantleMedia's comprehensive global network has operations in 28 countries, creating over 10,000 hours of programming a year, rolling out more than 45 formats and managing over 350 individual titles. The company also distributes more than 20,000 hours of content in over 200 territories. FMNA and its portfolio of companies, including Original Productions and 495 Productions, produce entertaining and innovative scripted and alternative programs for network, cable, syndicated and online platforms. Their slate includes a diverse range of both critically-acclaimed and award-winning successes including "American Idol" (FOX), "America's Got Talent" (NBC), "Family Feud" (SYN), "Let's Make A Deal" (CBS), "The Price Is Right" (CBS), "The Great Christmas Light Fight" (ABC), "Deadliest Catch" (Discovery), "Married to Medicine" (Bravo), "Party Down South" (CMT), "Ice Road Truckers" (HISTORY), "Storage Wars" (A&E), "Celebrity Family Feud" (ABC), "Celebrity Name Game" (SYN), "To Tell The Truth" (ABC), "American Gods" (STARZ), among others.

ABOUT SYCO ENTERTAINMENT

Syco Entertainment, a joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music, is one of the world's leading global music, film and television production companies responsible for some of the most successful global TV and music franchises and is the world's most successful producer of international talent. Syco Music was named the UK's number 1 record label for both A&R and sales in 2014 and is home to international best-selling artists who have sold more than 300 million records to date. Syco is the record label home to Labrinth, One Direction, Susan Boyle, Little Mix, IL Divo, Fifth Harmony, and Ella Henderson amongst others. Syco's television assets include the global franchises The X Factor and Got Talent. Around the world, The X Factor airs in 168 countries and is watched by more than a half billion people. The Got Talent format officially holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for highest number of adaptations, making it the "Worlds Most Successful Reality TV Format." America's Got Talent airs in 186 countries around the globe and has been the #1 US summer reality series for the past decade. Syco Film have recently partnered with Animal Logic (The Lego Movie, Happy Feet) to produce a number of music-based live action-hybrid animated movies.