After a dispute with NBC involving her son, Sharon Osbourne has decided to quit America’s Got Talent. Obsourne has been with AGT for six years. Her reasons for leaving NBC may be justified, but another change is going to be hard to handle. Sharon Obsourne wasn’t a great judge. She was too lenient with the contestants, even the terrible ones. She always wanted to be nice to the contestants and apologetic to the ones who had no talent. It may not have been reasonable, but it was part of the show. The AGT judge panel thrived on polarity. The other judges’ harsher personas have been at odds with Osbourne for her entire tenure. It was always good television.  The classic arguments will be gone. The instinct of telling the men to “behave” will be gone. Howie Mandel is about to become AGT’s longest tenured judge and he has only been on the show for three out of its seven years. There is a huge possibility that a lot of the entertainment value will be gone from the show once Osbourne departs. Of course, it all depends on who replaces her, which has yet to be determined.

AGT has gone through numerous changes over its 7 year history. It is on its third host. It has changed judges four separate times. When Piers Morgan left, Sharon still seemed like a fixture for years to come. Even so, she wasn’t on the original panel. She joined in the second season after singer Brandy quit. Neither of them knew how to be critical judges, though Brandy actually had more passion during her short tenure than Sharon has ever shown. Nevertheless, both Sharon and Brandy were seen as the mediators as the other two judges went at each other. It is a familiar formula and it works well. With Sharon gone, the chemistry will change.

Since a change has to be made, it better be a big one. The show will need a completely new type of judge to have any success with the transition. If the new panelist is at all similar to Osbourne, the show will continue to show its age. Sharon was an enjoyable personality. She will be missed on the show. However, a similar personality will simply be annoying. It will serve as a constant reminder that Sharon left AGT. 

In order for the show to go in a new direction, it could really use a more energetic personality. Obsourne has always been a low-key and soft spoken judge. Her attitude has always been endearing, but it also gets boring. To combat this, it is necessary for the type of judge to change. It helps if they have experience performing. For this reason, country singer Carrie Underwood might be a good choice as replacement. Underwood is very poised and has had experience with a reality competition. As one of the few stars to come out of American Idol, she will probably know how to judge talent. Comedienne Wanda Sykes would be another good replacement option. Sykes is not afraid to speak her mind and can certainly entertain viewers. She has a very excitable personality that will work well for the show. She also seems very respectful and may act as a good mediator when the men argue. Regardless the person chosen to replace Sharon, it is best for the show to get a new dynamic between the judges.