Back on America’s Got Talent for Season 21, Mel B says her on-screen heat with Simon Cowell is real—she likens him to an “annoying older brother,” with a ritual of winding each other up before dinner at his Malibu home.
Mel B doesn’t sugarcoat her relationship with Simon Cowell—at least not when the conversation turns personal.
Back on America’s Got Talent for Season 21 alongside Simon Cowell. actress Sofia Vergara. and comedian Howie Mandel. the Spice Girls singer described a “spicy” rapport with her co-judge. Speaking to Billboard, Mel B said, “He’s like my annoying older brother. He winds me up, then I wind him up. And then I go to his house in Malibu. and I take my kids with me. and we have a nice dinner. and we chill out together.”.
When asked if the bickering and chemistry are strictly for the camera, Mel B pushed back. “No, he annoys me. Just like I’m sure your siblings annoy you. It doesn’t matter if I’m on-camera or off-camera, if he annoys me I’m going to tell him!”
Her return adds another layer to the dynamic: Mel B replaced Heidi Klum in AGT Season 21. She previously served as a judge from 2011 to 2018. And according to the singer. the show wasn’t just a casual rebooking—she says the showrunners “fired” and “rehired” her because “they couldn’t get enough of me!”.
Despite the teasing and the behind-the-scenes shakeups, Mel B framed her comeback as a homecoming. “It’s just a fun show. I would be watching with my kids. with my husband. with my dogs anyway… So it’s nice to be able to go back there and be involved in a job that I love. that I think of as my family. ” she said.
The way she judges is part of what makes that “family” feeling land with viewers too. Mel B shared a golden-buzzer rule of thumb that doesn’t depend on the genre. “I just want to be mezmerized and I don’t want the act to stop. whether it’s a comedian. singer. dance troupe. magician. pole acrobat. I just want to be fixated. ” she said.
She also described what it’s like to be “very much like an empath” while supporting contestants as they perform. “I very much feel what they’re feeling. so if they’ve really pushed themselves to their limit and laid it all on that stage. I’m on that journey with them. and I don’t want that journey to end. ” Mel B noted.
Her comments land with a clear sense of purpose beyond judging. “It gives the whole family something to talk about, something to look forward to, something to be entertained by… It’s a universal, happy place to be watching it.”
Mel B Simon Cowell AGT Season 21 America’s Got Talent Sofia Vergara Howie Mandel Heidi Klum Spice Girls Golden buzzer Billboard interview