Heidi Klum Dishes on Her ‘Prank’-Filled Boating Day with ‘AGT’ Judges That Simon Cowell Abandoned (Exclusive)

Heidi Klum will not miss an opportunity to have a good time on the water, especially if it involves her American talent costars!

Talking to PEOPLE backstage after the first night AGTIn the season 18 finale, the supermodel judge, 50, opened up about her recent sparring with fellow judges Howie Mandela and Sofia Vergara — and why Simon Cowell missed out.

Klum revealed that all the judges were planning to go on Mandel’s boat on Monday. “He has this beautiful boat and he just wanted to be nice and invite us. He had an amazing chef there. We ate delicious sushi. I think he wanted to show off his boat,” she explained of Mandela, 67.

However, Cowell (63) mysteriously never showed up. Since the judge is known not to use a cell phone, they could not simply call or text him to ask where he is.

“We all made plans. Who doesn’t show up? Simon,” Klum recalled. “All of us [were] like, ‘Where the hell is Simon?’ We waited a bit on the dock and then left. Maybe he came in the end, and we don’t know.”

Simon Cowell on the red carpet for the August 2023 “America’s Got Talent” Season 18 Live Show.

Kevin Winter/Getty

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Before live AGT show on Tuesday, the model said she confronted Cowell and asked him why he didn’t show up for their planned boat trip.

“I was like, ‘Where have you been?’ And he said, ‘Oh, was that yesterday?'” she said. – He fully knows, but he says it with a smile on his face.

Cowell wasn’t the only one to get into mischief that day. Klum told PEOPLE that she played a little “prank” with Mandela herself.

“I picked Sofía up, and then when Sofía saw what I was wearing, she said, ‘I have to change.’ Then we went into her closet and it took another 40 minutes,” she joked. “And then Howie’s like, ‘Where are you?’ And I said, ‘Oh, that was today?’ He’s, like, calling me.”

– Sometimes I also like to play a little joke with him – she added with a laugh.

Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara on the set of ‘America’s Got Talent’.

Trae Patton/NBC

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It’s far from the first time American talent the judges joked with each other. The group had many joke-filled moments as they judged NBC’s reality series together over the years,

Earlier this season, Vergara, 51, walked off stage after Mandel made a joke about her new single status following her divorce from estranged husband Joe Manganiello.

The joke started when Modern family the actress was tasked with taking a lie detector test on stage at Cowell’s request. When Mandel jokingly asked if there was anyone in the audience who was interested in her, she declared that she had had enough.

“That’s it!” – shouted Vergara, returning to the judge’s table smiling.

‘America’s Got Talent’ is judged and hosted by Terry Crews.

Trae Patton/NBC

‘AGT’: Blind singer with autism adopted by her teacher wins Golden Buzzer Heidi Klum

During Tuesday’s episode AGT, all 11 finalists performed one last time for the judges and America before the champion was crowned on Wednesday. Performances included dance group Murmuration, comedian Ahren Belisle, singer Putri Ariani, singer Lavender Darcangelo, balancing duo Ramadhani Brothers, 82nd Airborne Division All-American Choir, magician Anna DeGuzman, dance group Chibi Unity, Adrian Stoica and his dog Hurricane, Mzansi Youth Choir and the dance group Avantgardey.

Speaking about Darcangelo’s closing performance, Klum had nothing but great things to say about her Golden Buzzer-winning spot.

“She did it. She was fantastic. She looked beautiful. She sounded beautiful,” enthused Klum. “Her boyfriend was there. I kept peeking at him and he was sitting there super proud and I said, ‘Are you nervous?’ And he said, ‘I’m not nervous. She’s not nervous. She’s just excited.’ It was beautiful. It was a wonderful journey for her.”

“I hope America votes for her,” Klum added. “I hope she wins tomorrow. I also like what everyone said to her today… It was all about A plus plus.”

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Season 18 finale American talent airs Wednesdays at 9pm ET on NBC.

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Source: HIS Education