By Jamie Ruby

NBC's top-rated summer reality series America's Got Talent returns on Tuesday with all new performers in the show's eighth season. This time the judges have changed and expanded from three to four, and will include Howie Mandel and Howard Stern, returning from last season, as well as new editions Spice Girl Mel B and supermodel Heidi Klum. Nick Cannon returns as host. Another big change this season is that the live episodes will be taking place in Radio City Music Hall.

Howie Mandel and Mel B recently talked to the media about the new season, premiering Tuesday night on NBC.

NBC Conference Call
America’s Got Talent
Howie Mandel and Mel B

May 28, 2013
4:30 pm ET

HOWIE MANDEL: All right. We will not be answering personal questions.

MEL BROWN: Stop.

QUESTION: Going into the new season with a comedian winning last year, breaking that streak of singers and musicians, how do you think that’ll change the dynamic of the show this season?

MEL BROWN: Go on, Howie.

HOWIE MANDEL: Okay, I will.

But truth be told, Season 2 was won by Terry Fator who was a ventriloquist. And I think the heart and soul of our show is that we are the last bastion of variety. And we truly have variety.

And this year with the advent of adding two more judges, great judges, Mel - and I'm not saying that because she’s on the phone, but an international superstar in her own right - and Heidi, an international marketer and fashion icon, and that has made it harder for acts to get through because now we need three “yes” instead of just two.

And they have just raised the level of - I guess maybe the audience at home seeing what they what they can do and get away with, and they don’t have to be just that traditional singer or that traditional dancer. They can do absolutely anything.

And I don’t know if it was about a comedian last year as much as it was about people who - even people like Horse who - not that that’s a great talent, but the fact that he had the nerve to get up and call what he did, getting kicked in the scrotum. Talent - people will show up and do everything.

So we had more dangerous acts, more exciting acts, more wacky acts, and more brilliant, classic talent than we’ve ever had before.

MEL BROWN: But I do think it’s harder for comedians because the bar’s been set so high. And I think it’s terrifying for a comedian because that audience is huge and they have to make us laugh and the audience laugh, and it doesn’t always go to plan. Really it doesn’t.

I will imagine that it’s really terrifying.

HOWIE MANDEL: I will tell you that - and to her credit, Mel B this year, we’ve had a couple of comedians on, and if they don’t rise to the occasion, she pulls no punches in telling them, “I'm going to tell you why I don’t like you; because you're not funny,” and she’s right, but that’s what you want from a judge.

And it’s just really interesting watching people perform. So there’s that element that I don’t know that was there before. Just the brutal honesty with a lot of experience.

MEL BROWN: Yes.

QUESTION: In what ways do you guys both feel that having four judges now this season is going to spice up the judging table a little bit?

MEL BROWN: I think it really has, because we’re four different people. We’ve all come from different backgrounds and we’ve all experienced a lot in our own professional career. So sometimes we all agree when the act is amazing. Sometimes we – well, more often than not, we actually disagree. But we’ve all got valid points because our opinions are coming from a place of professionalism.

So I find that really interesting, and I've learned a lot off these other three judges, especially you Howie, because I sit next to you. So I think it’s a really, really interesting dynamic and definitely the viewer is going to agree with two or more of us of what we’re actually saying.

HOWIE MANDEL: I personally was concerned, and I thought, “Maybe this is going to be too much.” And as it works out, it actually heightened the value of people that go through to even Las Vegas. And I think I said it before and I'm repeating myself, but the fact that they have to get three yes’s to go through. Two and two doesn’t get you - is virtually a no so you need three yes’s. So you have to appeal to three people.

MEL BROWN: Yes.

HOWIE MANDEL: And our four people on the panel come from not only four different worlds of entertainment, but from all over the world. And as Howard keeps saying, we want to find an international star. We don’t want to just find somebody that wins America’s Got Talent and gets the million dollars and ends up at Radio City Music Hall. We want to find somebody that’s going to be an international star. And I think that this addition of these extra two judges from all over the world is going to send us in that direction.

SCIFI VISION: You talked about the four judges, but are there any other changes in either production or maybe the way the rounds are going? Anything like that?

HOWIE MANDEL: The biggest changes I could see offhand and haven’t thought of it; we’re going to send 55 people to the live shows. Obviously the live show is going to be on a real stage that means so much more than any of these other challenge shows has ever meant before. Because even when you said you're going to Hollywood, you were going to a sound stage. And even last year we were going to Newark and were going to a theater. But to be able to perform live in Radio City Music Hall meaning so much.

Any other changes? Not that I can think of offhand.

SCIFI VISION: And for Mel B, what made you decide that you wanted to be a judge? And for Howie, why did you come back again? What was a particular reason?

HOWIE MANDEL: Mel, you go first.

OPERATOR: This is the operator, but Mel B’s line has disconnected right at this moment. We’re working on getting her back. Thank you.

HOWIE MANDEL: Okay. Well, I'll answer.

SCIFI VISION: If you can.

HOWIE MANDEL: I think Mel B is here because - no.

I would come back as long as they continue to have me. I love this. I love watching - and have sympathy as a fellow performer for anybody that’s willing to get up and put themselves out, and anybody who’s creative, and anybody who’s original, and anybody - I just love the energy and watching somebody get on stage and trying to entertain.

And talent is subjective. Just because you can be doing great even if you're an act that plays a stadium and 20,000 people are there; there’s probably two million people in that city that chose not to buy the ticket. So there is something for everyone.

And I love being there, and I cannot believe that this is even a job. I got into this business to try to garner an audience and make a career of it. And then when I wasn’t working, like the rest of the world, you sit at home in your underpants and you judge. That’s what people are doing.

SCIFI VISION: That’s true.

HOWIE MANDEL: You know, you go, “I don’t like this. I'm going to turn the channel. That’s not funny. That doesn’t sound good. I don’t like this music. Turn this off. Let’s watch this.” That’s what they do.

And then all of the sudden in this millennium or in the last few decades, this has become a job where they give you a pair of pants and a paycheck and if you have some credibility behind you and years of being in the business, hopefully you have constructive criticism as to why you don’t think this is worthy of seeing anymore of it, so I just love it.

And when I'm not doing that, I go to clubs and I watch people, and I watch TV 24 hours a day. I watch things that aren’t even in English. I'm just fascinated by people trying to entertain.

QUESTION: Is Mel back?

MEL BROWN: Yes. I don’t know what happened. My phone just dipped out. It started making weird noises like there was an alien on board or something.

QUESTION: So Mel, you've judged on Australia’s The X Factor, now you're on America’s Got Talent. When you look over the talent, how do you think the Spice Girls would’ve done in one of these competitions?

MEL BROWN: Oh, God knows. I have no idea.

The good thing about America’s Got Talent is that it’s not a singing show. It’s a complete variety show. So we harmonized well as five girls and we definitely have some things that everyone - I'm not quite sure how it would rank considering that there’s not just singers there. There’s dancers. There’s magic acts. There’s snakes. There’s danger acts. So I'm not quite sure how we would do.

Hopefully we would do well, but we started out 20 years ago, so you know...

HOWIE MANDEL: You would know. I think they would do well. I'm telling you - and the reason is, and these [are] the things we look for. At their time, it was original.

MEL BROWN: Right.

HOWIE MANDEL: It wasn’t only four hot women singing and dancing, but there was a message. You know, that message was girl power. A big part of America’s Got Talent obviously, America votes. And a big part of the voting community are young girls who watch the show and are inspired and watching dreams come true. I [think] they would’ve really touched a nerve and done really well.

MEL BROWN: There you go.

QUESTION: Is there one kind of an act that you think has an advantage - do singers have it easier than dancers?

MEL BROWN: You know what? Going into this, I really thought that singers were going to have it easy because all they have to do is stand there and belt out their voice. But I think it’s really equal across-the-board. I mean, who’d [have] thought that I would love watching some ducks on stage as much as I would love watching an opera singer? It really is a case of if you're entertaining, you're going through to the next level.

QUESTION: Terrific. Howie, did you want to comment on that?

HOWIE MANDEL: But I do think that - and we say it over and over again as judges. I think as a singer, you do have an advantage, but the beauty of America’s Got Talent is because it’s a variety show, I think we as judges keep hammering it home to the audience to go, “All right. So this guy came out and he’s got an acoustic guitar. He’s a good looking guy. He’s got a great voice.” You want to see him. You like the sound of his voice. And he’s singing a song that’s already been made popular by somebody else.

What about this guy that’s been working for ten years in his basement and he’s come up and he’s doing something that you've never seen before? You've never heard before? And it’s just amazing. I hope the audience takes that into consideration over what can be perceived as something easier or more normal.

I mean, you could see a singer/songwriter around a campfire. You could see them on a cruise. You could see them in a club. But, there’s (unintelligible)...

MEL BROWN: But you see, that’s why I don’t think they have an advantage. I really don’t because they are competing against such different acts.

HOWIE MANDEL: Well, maybe you're right. I just think that people identify with them. Like a hit song or somebody who’s good looking as opposed to understanding the skill that goes into some of these acts that we see. And we are seeing things...

MEL BROWN: But Howie, you do know that I'm always right. I am always right. You told me that (unintelligible)...

HOWIE MANDEL: I'm learning. It’s a learning curve. I'm learning that she thinks she’s always right, and I'm getting closer to believing it. I'm not 100% there yet.

MEL BROWN: Okay. We’ll get there.

QUESTION: I write for a gay publication, so I wanted to know what you thought of some of the gay contestants. I noticed in Chicago there was some gay dancers and a lot of people from our community. So I wanted to know what you thought of those contestants.

HOWIE MANDEL: I don’t know that the gay contestants are in a different category. Your sexual preference has absolutely nothing to do with your talent or - you know, I don’t think we judge on that and it’s not based on that. I think that everybody on America’s Got Talent - every faction and sexual orientation, anybody. Gender, race, creed, color is represented on America’s Got Talent because it’s represented in America.

But I couldn’t answer that question specifically about the gay community because I'm not even sure what the sexual preference is of most of the people that perform in front of us, nor do I care to know.

MEL BROWN: No. But some of them have come out and obviously said, “I'm a drag act. I'm gay. I came out to my mom at 10 years old.” And I do actually remember a few of them, and they really do go for it with the hair, the makeup. I love it. Me and Heidi are in our element because we - everybody on the judging panel, we love the gays and it’s so nice to see them basking in their celebration of being out. And they’re so eager to tell you, some of these contestants.

Not that it actually matters if you're gay or straight, but some of them really are excited and happy to be there representing.

And one thing that me and Heidi did learn is that that drop to the floor move - what’s it called? A (Shablam).

MEL BROWN: Is it (Shablam) where they literally are standing up one minute and then their legs bend back and...

QUESTION: And they drop. Yes.

MEL BROWN: ...they’re flat on the floor.

QUESTION: Yes.

MEL BROWN: We’ve seen a few of those, and boy does that look painful. But there was one guy that nailed it completely, so that was very - yes.

HOWIE MANDEL: Is that a gay thing?

MEL BROWN: Well, no. It’s a drag act. It’s a thing called (Shablam). Well, I can’t see you doing it, Howie.

HOWIE MANDEL: No. I can’t (Shablam). I can’t.

MEL BROWN: There you go.

HOWIE MANDEL: Enough about the gays. What about the Jews who are performing this year?

QUESTION: So Howie had mentioned the girl power element, and I'm just interested because the Spice Girls coined that whole idea and paved the way for female performers. And Mel B, you as well performed in The Vagina Monologues, so I'm just wondering how important was the idea of girl power and empowering female performers to you as a judge and what were the implications for the show for the audience?

MEL BROWN: I think between me and Heidi, we root for the girls to be extra-specially good because we’re all about supporting women. And I'd love a woman or a girl group to actually win this season. That’s just where I come from, and Heidi’s the same. She’s all about creating that girl that’s extra confident and knows herself and is not shy or ashamed or embarrassed of who she is.

And we’ve seen a lot of really talented women on this stage. We’re done with all our auditions so now we’re going to go into boot camp and I'm worried because of the 300, 400 people that we’ve seen, we have to whittle it down to like 40 or 50 people or acts, and it’s going to be so, so, so tough because we’ve had an equal amount of lady talent and boy talent, and everything else in between. So it’s going to be really hard.

HOWIE MANDEL: I didn’t know you did The Vagina Monologues. You did a Vagina Monologue, Mel?

MEL BROWN: Yes, in London. Yes.

HOWIE MANDEL: I didn’t know that. I did Talking Testicles.

MEL BROWN: You did not. Is that a show? The Puppetry of the Penis thing...

HOWIE MANDEL: It’s just something I did alone. Nobody attended.

MEL BROWN: That’s called (unintelligible), isn’t it?

HOWIE MANDEL: I don’t - enough about us. Let them ask questions.

QUESTION: Is the chemistry for everyone off-camera as great as it is for the two of you?

MEL BROWN: I think what you see is what you get with us on camera, and then off camera we have even more fun sometimes because we can say totally inappropriate things to each other that wouldn’t be that appropriate for the family show of AGT.

But I think all of us as judges are very, very honest, and I sit next to Howie and he has me cracking up every five seconds, and that’s what I really respect about all four of us. We all hold our own and we’re just all very honest. And we all think differently sometimes.

HOWIE MANDEL: I think she said the key word, and the key word is respect. And we respect each other and each other’s opinion though we don’t agree and there’s times where we really - and we’re all four very strong-minded, opinionated people and we’ll fight for what we think is right and honestly think sometimes the other person’s wrong. And it could get heated. But at the end of the day, we respect each other and enjoy working with each other.

So as she says, what you see is what you get, but that doesn’t mean we all agree, which I think makes for good television and good criticism, and it’s good for the acts to hear different opinions and different sides.

QUESTION: What is your favorite part of this season thus far?

HOWIE MANDEL: Just the phone conference calls that we get to do. I mean I love this. It’s not about the camera. It’s not about the talent. It’s just - this is fun because for me I'm a germaphobe and I'm talking to so many people, yet nobody’s with me and I love that.

MEL BROWN: For me, the best thing is just to join the show. I've been a fan of this show for years. I've sat and watched with my whole entire family, so it’s like an honor to be finally on that judging panel.

I mean, who would’ve thought? I wouldn’t have thought actually I would even have this opportunity, so I'm just really thankful.

You know, Howie’s sitting there naked. God knows what he’s doing on this phone. We have no idea.

HOWIE MANDEL: Naked. Practicing for the play I talked about. I'm running behind.

QUESTION: I know you said the show’s a lot about variety not about traditional singers and dancers. So as the show’s eighth season, is there anything you're specifically hoping to see out of the contestants this year?

HOWIE MANDEL: Yes. And I think it’s a redundant answer because I always give the same answer. But it always ends up coming through, and that is to see something we’ve never seen before. To see something so original, it doesn’t even fit a category. To see something that is so new and so daring, and so different, where you just go number one, “How did you think of that?” Number two is, “Where have you been for the last couple of years? And it’s so exciting that you're unveiling this great talent on our stage.”

And I can tell you honestly, and maybe this answers the previous question, the greatest and most exciting moment so far, and it’s happened more this season than any other season, is when our jaw drops. When you go, “Oh, my God.” When we look at each other without any words and go, “Oh, my God. What are we watching? What is this? You know, what category?”

It’s not a singer. It’s not a dancer. What is this person doing and how amazing is this? And I need to see more of it.

MEL BROWN: I agree with all of the above.

QUESTION: Howie, you were involved in a lot of standup comedy, and Mel you're performing on stage, so do you have empathy towards the people that come on stage and display those talents to you?

HOWIE MANDEL: I can’t really hear you clearly. What was the question to me?

QUESTION: I know you were involved in a lot of standup comedy, so when the people come on stage for America’s Got Talent and display a comedic act, do you share an empathy towards those people?

HOWIE MANDEL: I do. I really do because I think - and I am saying it because I'm one and I do it. I think that being a stand-up comic is probably one of the hardest things in the competition in as far as America’s Got Talent because in order to achieve what you're trying to achieve, you need to elicit more from an audience than any other act.

If you sing a song, they’re looking for a hand at the end of the song. If you do a magic trick, you're looking for a ta-da at the end. If you do anything else, you're just looking - if you're standing up there and doing stand-up comedy, you need to hear laughter, which is a tough emotion to elicit from strangers every 30 seconds. Because if it’s quiet in the room, regardless of how funny you think you are, it’s not working.

So I do have a lot of empathy. They have a tough job. And then when they go on after the end of these 14 hour days and they follow something atrocious or we’re just really tired, or the whole audience is tired, or it’s hot in the room, I have so much empathy because it’s really hard to do well.

And even at this point in my career where I feel like I - you know, I make a living at stand-up comedy, there are nights where things don’t go my way and it’s not always my fault. So I have empathy for anybody that gets up there and is willing to put themselves out like that, but I try to remove myself from what’s happening in the room and hear it for what it is.

And we have a lot of great comedy this year. Even more than last year, and I think Tom Cotter inspired that from last year.

MEL BROWN: I definitely think that it’s an experience to get up on there and actually be critiqued and learn what did work and what didn’t work because it’s not always going to go your way unless you've completely got your act - whether it be a singing act, whether it be a danger act and so rehearsed and so specific on point that it’s not going to be able to go through.

We’ve had people that have just crumbled. We’ve had people that have just succeeded like beyond, and it’s all about preparation I think. And obviously being extremely, extremely talented. And it is quite daunting. But at the same time, I like it when I can feel those people’s nerves. I can feel the anticipation of, “Can I do it? Can I deliver?” I find it really exciting.

SCIFI VISION: Well, Mel, since you're back now, I will ask you -- what was it that made you decide that you wanted to judge this show?

MEL BROWN: Why not? It’s America’s Got Talent. Everybody loves this show. Everybody watches it. Everybody talks about it. It’s one thing that you sit down with your family and you're actually enjoying it. You do it from your own sofa in your front room.

I was living in Australia and I got offered the job and I said, “Yes.” It wasn’t even a thought of, “Well, I've got to move the whole family back to LA.” I checked in with my kids that they didn’t mind moving school and then we were just here within a couple of weeks and it’s been the best move ever.

And I think that I'm part of one of the best shows on TV, or that’s about to be on TV.

SCIFI VISION: And then for both of you, have you learned anything about yourself through this experience so far this season?

MEL BROWN: I'm amazing.

HOWIE MANDEL: And Mel has continuously told me that she’s amazing, so I don’t have a moment to think about myself or (unintelligible) myself because Mel B is constantly telling me how amazing she is.

MEL BROWN: Thanks. You're going to write that and I'm going to sound like a complete douche bag.

HOWIE MANDEL: But an amazing one.