Howie Mandel to Return to AMERICA'S GOT TALENT

Related: AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, Howie Mandel, NBC

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Howie Mandel has revealed to Access Hollywood that he's set to retake his position as judge for the upcoming eighth season of AMERICA'S GOT TALENT.

"I'm doing my fourth season of 'America's Got Talent,'" Howie said this morning. "I'm thrilled to be back," Howie said of returning to "AGT." "This is my fourth year [and I think the talent] has been getting better and better every year."

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Auditions are close to wrapping up - the final round of auditions will be held this week, February 15 & 16 in New Orleans. Contestants can preregister at AGTAuditions.com.

As previously repoted, Sharon Osbourne will not be back for AMERICA'S GOT TALENT this season. A replacemenet for her spot has yet to be filled, even though the first day of taping is only a few weeks away on March 4.

Howie Mandel has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years. Mandel is the host and executive producer of "Take It All," an exciting, high stakes new game show based on the wildly popular holiday game "White Elephant" or "Yankee Swap" which premiered on Monday, December 10thand airs as a six night event. He also serves as one of the judges on the talent competition seriesAmerica's Got Talent. Mandel received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality/Competition Host for Deal or No Deal and a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Game Show Host for the Syndicated version of the show.

From his work on the Emmy Award-winning "St. Elsewhere" to the international animated children's series "Bobby's World," Mandel has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene. In 2009, he released his frank, funny, no-holds-barred memoir, "Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me," which revealed his ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD and how it has shaped his life and career. The book made The New York Times Bestseller List on its first week of release and remained there for several weeks.

Mandel's career began on a dare during a trip to Los Angeles in 1979. He was at the legendary Comedy Store on amateur night and was coaxed by his friends to get up and try his luck. As fate would have it, there was a producer in the crowd who immediately hired him to appear on the comedy game show "Make Me Laugh." His appearance on the show led to talk show appearances, a stint as Diana Ross' opening act and eventually to the award-winning television series "St. Elsewhere," where he spent six seasons as "Dr. Wayne Fiscus."

His Emmy Award-nominated animated children series, "Bobby's World," ran for eight seasons on FOX and now appears in syndication six days a week in 65 countries. As the series' creator and executive producer, Mandel was closely involved in the writing, and he provided The Voice of Bobby, Bobby's dad and other characters. He attributes the show's success to drawing the story lines from real life.