Founding member and lead singer of UB40 Ali Campbell, supermodel Rachel Hunter and OpShop front man Jason Kerrison have been named as judges for New Zealand’s Got Talent, coming soon to TV ONE.

As founding member of UB40, British singer Ali Campbell has spent nearly 30 years in the international music scene. UB40 has sold over 70 million records, notched up four number one singles around the world, and over 40 Top 40 UK singles.

Ali Campbell says he’s been coming to New Zealand for years and has many friends here. He’s looking forward to what New Zealand’s Got Talent will reveal. “I can’t wait to see some really great talent, somebody really exciting,” he says.

International supermodel Rachel Hunter needs no introduction, having been a household name here and overseas since she was a teenager.

“I love New Zealand and I love coming home, and now I’m super-excited to get a chance to discover just how talented Kiwis are!” she says. The mother-of-two will be relocating from Los Angeles for the filming of the show, which will commence in July.

Invercargill-born, Jason Kerrison’s involvement in the music industry stretches over more than 20 years. In 2011 he was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music. OpShop’s 2006 single Maybe was the first by a Kiwi band to reach number one on iTunes New Zealand. One Day was named Song of the Year at the 2008 APRA Silver Scroll Awards.

Kerrison says there’s an enormous amount of talent in New Zealand and he’s really looking forward to getting ‘stuck in’ to his judging duties. “The New Zealand’s Got Talent format is a great platform for artists and entertainers of all kinds to have a crack at a significant prize, which is a huge boost for anyone’s career,” he says.

TVNZ’s Jeff Latch, Head of TV ONE and TV2, is also excited about the announcement.

“From what we have already seen of the Toyota Talent Tour, there are a lot of impressive acts in New Zealand. It’s fantastic to have a strong judging panel that can share their expertise and contribute to making New Zealand’s Got Talent a world class production,” he says.

Toyota New Zealand is a foundation partner of New Zealand’s Got Talent. “We’re delighted that TVNZ has pulled together such high calibre judges for the show,” says Neeraj Lala, Toyota New Zealand General Manager of Marketing.

“Ali, Rachel and Jason will be an excellent team bringing experience, enthusiasm and popularity to the table. They’ll understand how important it is for the contestants to really believe in themselves, so that they can showcase their talent for all of New Zealand to see.”

The announcement comes as production begins on the country’s biggest talent show. Over 5,000 acts have auditioned to take part in the New Zealand’s Got Talent heats which will be filmed in Dunedin, Wellington and Auckland in front of live audiences and the judging panel.