Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jelly Roll and Chrissy Teigen have joined Netflix’s upcoming “Star Search” reboot as judges, with Anthony Anderson serving as host of the talent competition show.
The new iteration of the talent competition series will premiere on the streamer on Jan. 20, 2026, with episodes airing live Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The five-week event will feature real-time voting via TV remote or mobile app to help pick which contestants advance in the competition. See the teaser trailer: HERE.
Per the official logline: “Off the air for 20 years, the show returns as a nostalgic yet fresh entry in the talent competition space – ready to captivate both longtime fans and a whole new generation. The talent is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the format is more interactive than ever. Each episode will spotlight the best up-and-coming performers across numerous categories – music, dance, variety, comedy, magic and juniors – as they compete head to head for their shot at stardom. With an arced competition structure and weekly eliminations with real-time global voting, the series builds dramatic momentum, making every live episode an unmissable event.”
Jelly Roll (real name Jason DeFord) is a seven-time Grammy nominee; his recent album “Beautifully Broken” hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Gellar, best known as the star of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” is next set to reprise her role as Buffy Summers in the Hulu series revival. Other recent credits include “Dexter: Original Sin,” “Wolf Pack” and the upcoming Searchlight feature “Ready or Not 2.” Teigen founded the food and lifestyle brand Cravings and is a bestselling cookbook author and TV personality.
Hosted by the late Ed McMahon, the original series was in syndication from 1983-1995 and helped launch the careers of stars such as Beyoncé, Usher, Martin Lawrence, Aaliyah, Alanis Morissette, Kevin James, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler and more. It was briefly rebooted at CBS in 2003, hosted by Arsenio Hall, but was canceled after one season.
Editorial credit: MLM IMAGES Los Angeles / Shutterstock.com