America’s Got Talent preview: Chris Hardwick returns for final Judge Cuts
For the second straight season, Hardwick is going to be back to judge a phase of the competition, but this one obviously comes under a different light. This is going to be the first major TV appearance for Hardwick since being accused of sexual assault and misconduct by a former girlfriend; with that being said, this was filmed prior to the accusations first coming out. Over the past week, Hardwick was reinstated on Talking Dead after AMC conducted an investigation into the allegations. NBC has not commented on the subject since their first statement making it clear that they would assess the situation. Given that he was billed tonight as the host of The Wall, though, all signs point to them continuing to have a relationship with him.
Even if NBC did want to scrap or change around this episode next week, it’s rather hard when the guest judge is a rather integral part of it.
Do we think that there will be polarizing opinions to seeing Hardwick on AGT next week? Probably, but the series will more than likely keep most of the focus on the acts themselves given that seven more are going to audition in hopes of making it through. Hardwick will have a Golden Buzzer, and then the other six will be chosen by the remainder of the panel. (We probably won’t address the controversy next week when the episode airs, mostly because it feels like at that point, the focus should be on the acts themselves.)
Really, we don’t have too many specific expectations for this episode beyond hoping that the Golden Buzzer goes to someone who is a little stronger than Quin and Misha tonight. While they are talented, it does not feel like they are bringing anything new to the table. You can see more on that in the video below; be sure to subscribe for more TV scoop!
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