First Posted: 4/22/2013

Singer Melanie Brown is best known as a member of the Spice Girls. Howie Mandel and Howard Stern both have backgrounds in comedy and acting. But the fourth judge on this upcoming season of “America’s Got Talent,” Heidi Klum, is mostly known as a host and model.

“Being in entertainment for 20 years, seeing a lot of things… I’ve been grooming models in Germany. I do Tyra’s (Banks) show (‘America’s Next Top Model’) in Germany,” Klum explained to me during a red carpet media event for the show in Rockefeller Plaza. “You have to be a little bit of an entertainer, an actress, when you’re a model. You can’t just stand there.”

Klum was married to a singer, Seal, for eight years, but also has a little bit of a performance background herself. Before coming to America, the “Project Runway” star danced professionally in Germany.

“It’s hard to crush someone’s feelings, especially when we’re crunched on time,” she said. “I want to say more to send them away, and sometimes you have to be really quick, and then it hurts my feelings to hurt someone else’s feelings.”

Despite the acclimation period for Klum to judging a talent competition, she insists that she hasn’t asked for help or relied on the other judges. Once auditions are over the judges will return to New York, a place that Klum knows all too well, having lived in the city for 13 years as a model. Yet, the judge was adamant that she won’t be able to hit up any of her favorite spots around town.

“I’m going to bed, because I’m doing this all again tomorrow,” said Klum of her work day, which can run from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. “A girl needs her beauty rest.”

“America’s Got Talent” premieres June 4 on NBC.

CHER LLOYD DITCHING ‘BUBBLEGUM PRINCESS’ MONIKER

Cher Lloyd is known in the United States as a pop princess due to her hit single, “Want U Back.” Judging by that song, you’d never know that Lloyd auditioned for “The X-Factor” in the UK with Keri Hilson’s “Turn My Swag On.”

“This is the time that I want to bring pop and urban right together, and make it work,” Lloyd told “The Ralphie Show.” “I don’t feel that I’m going to be a ‘bubblegum princess’ anymore. That Cher’s gone.”

Lloyd revealed she is currently changing her sound while recording her follow-up to the album “Sticks + Stones.” Meanwhile, the second single from that LP is the track “With Ur Love.”

“It’s a very cheeky song,” the singer remarked. “It’s catchy. I want all the kids to be singing along to it.”

It sounds though as if those catchy songs may be limited on Lloyd’s sophomore effort. The singer is working with different producers this time and may collaborate with more hip hop artists for her new sound. Rapper Juicy J is featured on a remix for “With Ur Love.”

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