Stern, Klum, Brown and Mandel on AGT

Season 8 of America’s Got Talent boasts new beginnings in 2013 with two new judges and a new venue, but, if it’s up to him, it will be all about returning judge and “King of All Media” Howard Stern.

“Didn’t you guys get the memo? I’m the star of the show,” Stern jokes.

With one season under his belt, Stern is officially no longer the new kid on the block thanks to the additions of Heidi Klum and Melanie “Scary Spice” Brown. The 2 new additions replace the beloved Sharon Osbourne who left after last season with irreconcilable differences with the network. When asked why she wanted to join the series, Klum said judging came naturally. “I guess it is a part of my personality. I want to tell everyone how they’re looking and what they should be doing,” Klum said. “How can you say no to America’s Got Talent?”

On a rare serious note, Stern praised the dynamic of the new judges and host Nick Cannon. “I want to say, its delightful working with this panel. It’s so much fun. Some days they get very long, but when you have nice people like this, it’s actually quite pleasant.”

Another new beginning is that this season of America’s Got Talent will move from its longtime home city of L. A. and head east to New York’s famed Radio City Music Hall. “Many of America’s greatest performers have graced this legendary stage, and now AGT will have the rare opportunity to discover greatness in this renowned venue,” Paul Telegdy, president of alternative and late night programming, NBC Entertainment, said. “This move takes the show to a new and even more exciting level.”

“This show has now gone to a new level in so many ways,” returning judge Howie Mandel said. “We have more opinions, more critiques. … This is bigger and better and more exciting than any other season we’ve ever had.”

The critiques also apply to the judges, such as Brown, who was booed when she took the stage for her first taping in New Orleans. Her mistake was telling a popular hometown brass hand, Lagniappe, that she wasn’t a fan of brass music. The crowd naturally went wild, booing her and telling her to “Go home.” Mel reportedly was upset. What did she think was going to happen when she dissed the hometown favorites? She should not have been surprised that she got booed. She needs to grow thicker skin, or get out of the judging business. This comes after the show producers sent out press release after press release to encourage these jazz acts and musicians to audition, and none of the judges know a thing about jazz, and one of them admits to not even liking jazz. Gee, let’s make fools of people who very well may have canceled paying gigs to spend all day to audition for a shot at this and humiliate them on national TV.

Despite the publicity surrounding the judges’ panel already, Stern said the focus is still on getting the best talent on the show. “I said this year I would love to find an international superstar,” Stern said. “That’s my goal this year, and I know the other judges join me in that and we take the job quite seriously.”

America’s Got Talent premieres on Tuesday, June 4 at 8:00pm and will begin airing live twice a week on July 23.