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Mel B's quick buzzer press on ‘AGT’ premiere doesn't sit well with Sofia Vergara: 'She's already...'

"Mel barely acknowledged Sofia when they weren’t recording. Mel spent most of the time talking to Howie," the insider claimed.

It appears that all's not well between 'AGT' judges Sofia Vergara and Mel B! According to a report by The US Sun, a shady moment saw the light of day when the judges seemed distant on the set of the NBC talent competition during filming. For the latest Season of 'America's Got Talent,' Mel returned as a judge for the first time since she was last seen on the judging panel way back in 2018. This is the first time that Mel has shared the screen space with Vergara, who joined the show after her beloved sitcom 'Modern Family' came to an end in 2020. When Mel and Vergara met each other on set to film the premiere for Season 20, the ladies disclosed that it was their first meeting ever. 

As Mel hugged Vergara backstage, she told her, “So nice to finally meet you." However, it seems like their new friendship didn't last long, as during the first audition of the episode, the two were caught in conflict. At that point, Eric Booker, a retired New York City subway conductor, stepped on the stage to showcase his extreme drinking skills. During his act, Booker was seen chugging jars full of pickle juice, hot dog water, hot sauce, and creamed corn. 

The judges and Terry Crews, the show's host, were pretty impressed by Booker's electric personality. However, there was one person on the judges' table who wasn't happy with Booker's act, and it was none other than former Spice Girls member Mel. Just a few seconds into the act, Mel hit the 'X' buzzer. Soon after, Mel crossed her arms and had a sulky expression on her face during the remaining portion of Booker's act. Mel continued to whine about Booker's act to her fellow judge, Howie Mandel, by saying, “I don’t like it." In his response, Mandel went on to say, "You're grumpy."

During the remainder of Booker's performance, Mel looked uneasy, and at one point, Vergara turned to Simon Cowell and shed light on Mel's dissatisfaction with the act. Then, Vergara told Cowell, “I mean, she just got here and she’s already putting red,” to which the latter responded, "I know, a bit grumpy.” After Booker's audition, when Mel was asked to offer her feedback, she shared her concerns for his health. “I think you can really injure the lining of your tummy. I don’t think you should be doing that. Please take care of yourself,” Mel told Booker. Unfortunately, Booker failed to receive three yeses from the judging panel to advance to the next round of the competition. 

Before this, a source claimed to The US Sun that Mel got along with everybody when the cameras began rolling, but her vibe instantly shifted behind the scenes. The insider alleged that when the auditions were being filmed in March 2025, “Mel barely acknowledged Sofia when they weren’t recording. Mel spent most of the time talking to Howie, who she was sitting right next to, or even got up to talk to Simon. But even though Sofia was right on the other side of her, they barely spoke or even made eye contact when the cameras went down. Mel would even get up and walk around to go talk to Simon or lean back and talk to him over Sofia but barely spoke or made eye contact with Sofia. She seemed to get along well with Simon and Howie off-camera. And she got along with Sofia when cameras were on, but when they were off, very icy vibes.”