Monday 25 November, 2024

10 people we never thought would be TV show judges

They’re all in Australia it seems.

THIS WEEK HEIDI Klum and Mel B were announced as new judges on America’s Got Talent.

While Mel B has form with the X Factor Australia, many eyebrows were raised at the inclusion of Heidi.

While she is a veteran of Project Runway and Germany’s Next Top Model plenty of people are surprised she’s judging a more traditional talent show.

In fact, some big names and surprising choices crop up on TV talent shows regularly.

We’ve rounded up our picks for those that really had us scratching our head.

10. Carmen Electra

She’s the former Baywatch star who’s made a career out of being a bit hot and dancing around for years.

Drafted in to cover for a sick Amanda Holden on last year’s Britain Got Talent, Electra was reportedly booed frequently on-set.

Audiences felt she wasn’t a fair replacement for Holden but head judge Simon Cowell seemed to like her and the pair are now said to be dating.

And did you know that before she acted Carmen was a would-be popstar whose music was produced by Prince? We’re serious.

She even has a new tune out. Maybe Simon bankrolled it.

MsCarmenElectraVevo/ YouTube

9. Seal

Now we can all agree that Seal is super talented and generally amazing.

And in a way, you’d expect the man who gave us Kiss From A Rose to either land on a big talent show or never ever go near one.

But, lo and behold even Seal can’t resist the lure of reality TV. He’s been on a judge on The Voice Australia which debuted last year.

Seal was the winning coach after the end of season one and a clip of him jiggling excitedly in his chair while one of the contestants sang even became a viral video for all the wrong reasons.

Oh dear.

SoccerMoey / YouTube

8. Ronan Keating

As a solo star and part of Boyzone our very own Ronan Keating has enjoyed plenty of success.

In 2010 after his split from wife Yvonne, Keating took a gig as a judge on The X-Factor Australia.

We’re starting to think the money must be good down in Oz because they’re nabbing all sorts of people as judges. Mad.

LSKseven / YouTube

7. Ricky Martin

We all remember the days of Ricky shaking his bon-bon (if you will) but now he too has been seduced by the bright lights and Home & Away episodes of Australia for a judging job.

Martin has joined Seal and co. on the current season of The Voice Australia which is to debut later this year.

We hope one of his contestants gets to join him on a duet of this:

RickyMartinVevo / YouTube

6. Piers Morgan

Piers Morgan was once a notorious newspaper editor with a sideline in TV presenting.

In 2006 he took on a judging role on the first series of America’s Got Talent surprising audiences here and in the US who had little awareness of his past in print media.

Morgan was chosen by Simon Cowell who couldn’t take on the US show himself, clearly spotting someone who could fill the Sarcastic British Man role (The two then worked alongside each other for Britain’s Got Talent).

It worked, with Morgan staying on the show for six years and taking over from Larry King on CNN.

And although Morgan left the show in 2011 he continues to work on CNN and be a general pest on Twitter.

snwangl / YouTube

5. Mel B

It really does feel like they’re all in Australia these days.

Mel B may not be the most successful solo Spice Girl but she’s definitely the most outspoken one as a judge on Australian X-Factor.

And that is key for a good talent show judge.

Mel joined the panel in 2011 and her take no prisoners approach proved a hit.

She had a famously mouthy appearance on the UK X-Factor last year, even rumoured to take a full time gig but it seems her new America’s Got Talent role might get in the way.

Wonder if she’ll call Piers Morgan for tips?

TheXFactorUK / YouTube

4. Amanda Brunker

This one had plenty of people talking when in 2010, Amanda took the judging role vacated by Shane Lynch on The All Ireland Talent Show.

Some said that despite her profile as a writer and model Brunker wasn’t qualified to really be a judge.

Either way, it’s a good thing that infamous Oxegen appearance happened after her time on the show

RTE2fm / YouTube

3. Kerry Katona

She was famous for being the one who couldn’t sing in Atomic Kitten (even though she did sing a little bit. We think.) but Kerry was also a judge on the first ever series of RTE’s You’re A Star.

She was good fun if hardly earth shattering and when Linda Martin aka The Self Appointed Irish Queen of Eurovision covered for her throughout the series, it made sense Linda would replace her.

Mind you, Kerry’s finest moment is still being involved with Atomic Kitten’s Whole Again.

Here is a version of the song that only has Kerry talk-singing the verses. Incredible.

Marcusnintendofan / YouTube

2. Brian McFadden

He guest judged an episode of You’re A Star in 2007 but it was when he took a judging role on Australia’s Got Talent (Seriously Australia? Do you just take everybody?) that Brian McFadden properly turned judging into someting lucrative.

McFadden joined the panel in 2010 and stayed on for three series.

He’s now said to be axed from the next run but it’s undoubtedly helped his profile in Australia where his music continues to do well.

And sometimes he got to get up and do a funny dance on stage.

God bless you Australia

Brian McFadden Fan / YouTube

1. David Hasselhoff

The continued fascination with David Hasselhoff will baffle some of you but his enduring cult appeal saw him as a main judge on America’s Got Talent for four seasons.

In one way, given that his biggest roles involved talking to a car and rocking a pair of swim shorts and his music career was a joke it doesn’t seem right for Hasselhoff to be judging others.

But also, he’s clearly ridiculous and outspoken and that’s what a good judge needs.

The Hoff left the show in 2009 but we reckon it’s only a matte of time before he heads to some Australian talent show. Sure they’re all it.

Also, if you’ve never watched this performance The Hoff did of Feeling Good on America’s Got Talent before he left, it’s quite the spectacle.