Melanie Brown Replaces Sharon Osbourne on “America's Got Talent”

Known as Scary Spice during her time with the 1990s all-girl pop quintet, Brown will join returning judges Howie Mandel and Howard Stern.

Former Spice Girl Melanie Brown is joining the judges' panel of NBC's "America's Got Talent."

Known as Scary Spice during her time with the 1990s all-girl pop quintet, Brown will occupy the chair vacated by Sharon Osbourne who announced she would be leaving at the end of the 2012 season. 

Brown will join returning judges Howie Mandel and Howard Stern for the eighth season of the talent show that is scheduled to return to screens this summer.

“To know her is to know a very frank, strong, enduring entertainer. Someone who has a very strong point of view,” Paul Telegdy, NBC president of alternative programming, told Entertainment Weekly. “We needed somebody who was qualified for the job. She’s an amazing singer, dancer and a huge personality. The contestants will get a lot of constructive feedback from her and I can’t wait to see her chemistry with Howard and Howie.”

Reality competition programming is not new territory for the British-born entertainer. Brown, 37, appeared as a contestant on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" in 2007 in which she was partnered with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. The pair were awarded second place.

In 2012, Brown returned to the "Dancing" franchise as co-host for one season of the Australian edition and has also appeared as a celebrity mentor and then judge on the Down Under version of "The X Factor."

The Spice Girls reunited briefly in 2012 to perform during the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games.

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