‘America’s Got Talent’ Judge Mel B Reveals What She’s Hoping for in Season 21 Winner (Exclusive)

America’s Got Talent is returning to NBC this summer with a brand-new season packed full of performers looking to take home the $1 million prize.

The new mix of acts will surely be in good hands, as judges Mel B, Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel and Sofía Vergara are all returning for the season, as is host Terry Crews.

Ahead of the Tuesday, June 2 premiere, PopCulture.com chatted with Mel B about returning for the new season, her hopes and expectations for the eventual winner, and why she thinks the show is such a success year after year.

PopCulture.com: Fans are so excited for the return of America’s Got Talent Season 21 — how does it feel to be back for a brand new season?

Mel B: It feels like I’ve never been away and also like I’m that excited little kid at school on the first day back from the holidays.

PC: Last year marked the 20th season of AGT, but this season marks the 20-year anniversary of the series’ premiere — what is it like to continue the show’s legacy at such a momentous time?

MB: It is genuinely an honour to be sitting there on the panel of a show that means so much to so many millions of people and a show that has a history and a legacy and has brought so much new talent to the entertainment industry. I don’t take it for granted. And it’s our job to make it better, more exciting and to keep it as up to date as possible – a bit like my wardrobe really!!

PC: What do you think keeps the fans coming back for more year after year?

MB: I think it’s because we have such fun. And we have great acts that always surprise the audience – and us. I do sometimes sit there with my jaw on the floor literally thinking – who is this incredible performer and where have they been. We all love the stories behind the acts, we love to see their journey, how they improve, how their confidence grows – we are all committed to these performers.

PC: AGT always manages to raise the bar when it comes to the talented acts that compete every season. What are you looking forward to the most when it comes to this new season in terms of the competition?

MB: Weirdly I’m going to say something that sounds totally contradictory. I’m looking for something new and something that feels old school classic and familiar but with knobs on. When you hear a voice that sends tingles down your spine, that’s a feeling you know from music and voices you have heard throughout your life and that’s what I want to feel, I want to feel all the emotion in my body. But I also love something totally new, a magician with a trick I’ve never even thought of, dancers who just take your breath away, comedians that pull that belly laugh right out of you …love it.

PC: You’re returning to the judges panel alongside Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell, and Sofía Vergara — how does it feel to have everyone coming back together, and how does it impact your time on the show getting to work alongside familiar faces?

MB: I’ve loved getting to know Sofía, who is the most beautiful and hilarious woman. She’s a real girl’s girl and we have a dressing room right next to each other so we really have got to know each other. And Howie and Simon are old friends. It’s actually such a lovely feeling to have known them all these years – we all rub along like a mad, crazy dysfunctional family that know each others foibles and we really are a family. Simon has been there for me in good and bad times and I’ll never forget that. We row, we nicker, but we absolutely adore each other. And that makes all the difference because we spend an awful lot of time together making this show.

PC: What can people expect from your judging style this season?

MB: More of me being me. I shoot from the hip, I tell it as it is, I’m not a pushover but if I get the tingles for someone then I’m going to help push them all the way. I’m a down to earth Northern British girl who says exactly what she thinks – so no change there.

PC: What qualities are you looking for in your winner for this season?

MB: I want someone I will never forget, whether it’s a singer, a comedian, a magician. I want someone who makes me FEEL something whether it’s laughter, emotion or awe. I have two great Golden Buzzers so I’m hoping it’s going to be one of them.

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America’s Got Talent Season 21 premieres with auditions on Thursday, June 2 on NBC. Live shows kick off at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium beginning Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Results shows will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.