Getty
America’s Got Talent: The Champions returns on NBC with new acts for episode 3 of the franchise’s global all-star season. Two contestants will be voted through by American viewers tonight. This post will be updating live throughout the episode, as it is revealed which performers will be moving on to the next round of competition. Beware of spoilers below.
After Angelica Hale performed “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten, receiving a standing ovation from the audience, Howie Mandel pushed the golden buzzer and advanced her straight to the finals. Hale remarked that she was there to prove herself and have another shot at victory after coming in second place during her season. She now has the chance to do that.
Once all 10 acts performed, there was one spot for the “superfans” across the 50 states to determine. When the vote was locked, host Terry Crews revealed that Billy and Emily England, Jon Dorenbos, and Paul Potts were the top 3. Paul Potts was voted into the finals.
Live Episode Recap
The first performer of the night was DJ Arch Jnr, who won South Africa’s Got Talent season 6 in 2015 when he was only 3 years old. After introducing himself to the judges and announcing he was there to “defend [his] talent,” he got the audience and judges dancing with his DJ performance. Mel B told him he has incredible rhythm and Simon Cowell told him that they need to be talking after the show because “I’ve got some plans for you.”
Next up was Darcy Oake, a magician who originally appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and finished in 5th place. Cowell said that Oake was asked back to the show because he’s one of the past contestants who he thinks, looking back, could have won. Darcy invited judge Howie Mandel to come up to the stage and participate along with a randomly-selected audience member. Once they were positioned, Oake asked judge Heidi Klum to the stage, who he placed onto a board that Howie and the audience member were holding up. By the end of the performance, Klum appeared to be floating in the air. The judges were impressed, but Cowell criticized Oake’s showmanship.
Young singer Angelica Hale performed third; she was the runner-up for America’s Got Talent season 12. She sang “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten and the audience rose to their feet when she reached the powerful chorus. Klum said she could see that Hale “came here to win.” Howie Mandel pressed the golden buzzer to push Angelica Hale through to the finals.
Tom Cotter, the stand-up comic who came in second on season 7 of America’s Got Talent, brought a dog on stage to start his begin his set with a bit about losing to a dog act on his season of the show. He then talked about being “breeders” with his wife, with whom he shares twins. Shortly into his set, Cowell X-ed Cotter, visibly shaking him; however, he got right back into his set and got a standing ovation from Howie Mandel. The audience booed Cowell for hitting his X.
Prince Poppycock took the stage next, dressed in head-to-toe white. On his season of America’s Got Talent, he finished in fourth place. He started his singing performance sitting on a throne before walking down a catwalk to sing “The Edge of Glory” by Lady Gaga. All four judges gave him a standing ovation, and host Terry Crews commented on the “100% showmanship.”
Ryan Stock and AmberLynn Walker were up next, and Simon Cowell remarked that they gave the most shocking performance of the show when their flaming arrow stunt went wrong. For their performance tonight, they did the infamous stunt again. Before the grand finale, Stock snapped a mousetrap on his tongue (which Walker ripped off) and then bit down on a cinder block while Walker smashed another one over his head. Though the audience screamed and the judges looked away in fear, Walker successfully executed the stunt and Stock was unscathed.
Samuel J. Comroe received a standing ovation as soon as he walked on stage. The stand-up comedian finished in fourth place when he competed on America’s Got Talent, and he told Mel B he came back for a second chance to win. The audience and judges gave him a standing ovation after his performance; Mel B called him “the perfect husband material.”
Paul Potts performed next, after reflecting on how his Britain’s Got Talent win changed his life. The audience rose to their feet at the start of his performance and stayed standing; he was met with thunderous applause when his performance concluded, and he was visibly moved by the response. Howie Mandel told Paul that he deserves to win.
Magician and former NFL player Jon Dorenbos performed an act that involved the whole audience’s participation, and assistance from the judges. After having the judges pick words from the box at random (written by the audience), Dorenbos played Howie Mandel at tic-tac-toe and after turning the completed board around, the words that each judge chose were printed next to their name in the same color they were written. Cowell and Mandel both remarked that it was deserving of a golden buzzer, but neither had one to give so it will be left up to the voters.
Last to perform were brother-sister rollerskating duo Billy and Emily England. Before their performance, Cowell said that so many people told him they were surprised that they didn’t win. Billy started by balancing Emily on his head while he spun in circles, before spinning her upside down. Then, they both put a harness around their necks and Billy spun Emily without holding hands. Finally, they did their famous trick and Emily spun holding on to Billy’s beard.
The top 3 (determined by fan votes) were Billy and Emily England, Jon Dorenbos, and Paul Potts. Jon Dorenbos finished in third place, Billy and Emily finished in second, and Paul Potts was voted into the finals.