NBC
America’s Got Talent: The Champions celebrates 50 of the franchise’s top performers from around the world as they compete for the ultimate title of “champion.” One of the returning acts is engaged couple Ryan Stock and AmberLynn Walker, who perform daredevil stunts and tricks together.
Based on promotional photos, their new act on the Got Talent stage involves Walker smashing cinderblocks over Stock’s head while he bites down on another cinder block. They will also be bringing their flaming arrow trick (for which they are notorious) back to the stage.
Here’s what you need to know about Ryan Stock and AmberLynn Walker:
1. They Competed in Season 11 of ‘America’s Got Talent’
Before America’s Got Talent: The Champions, Ryan Stock and Amberlynn Walker appeared as a duo on the 11th season of the franchise’s US talent competition. The winner of the show their season was Grace VanderWaal, a singer and ukulelist.
After they were eliminated, Stock thanked fans and addressed the stunt that got them eliminated, saying “We’re going to be taking the stunt that went wrong on the road and putting it in clubs in a city near you.”
2. They Had a Dangerous Stunt Accident Live on AGT
When Stock and Walker attempted a stunt which, according to Billboard, involved Stock “swallowing a target and having his fiancée, Amberlynn Walker, fire a flaming arrow right into the bullseye and down his throat.” Due to an equipment malfunction during the live performance, the arrow missed its intended target and instead hit Stock in the neck.
Stock was not injured because of the safety precautions they took prior to the performance; however, he told Billboard “We had been practicing for this for the past three months at about ten times a day, and it worked. It was the first time we ever did it live for an audience, and we had an equipment malfunction.”
3. Ryan & AmberLynn Had a Show on the Discovery Channel
According to IMDB, Stock’s TV documentary show, called Guinea Pig, aired from 2007-2009 on the Discovery Channel and starred the couple. Stock also appeared as a magic advisor in the TV movie David Blaine: Beyond Magic.
The show’s description reads “They don’t test myths, but they do test just about everything else under the sun. Ryan Stock and his significant other, AmberLynn Walker, look for answers to questions such as: How long can you survive buried under the snow and sopping wet?”
4. They Met at a Carnival
According to People, the couple met in 2001 at the Edminton Fringe Festival; Stock was performing as a sword swallower and Walker was giving out balloons to carnival-goers. At the time, she had just been broken up with by her magician boyfriend. Stock offered her a job as his assistant, and the constant time together led them to a romantic relationship.
5. Ryan Has 5 Guinness World Records
In Ryan’s Instagram bio, he says that in addition to being stunt performer and magician, he is also a Guiness World Record holder. According to People, his world records are in line with his crazy stunts. He holds the records for “heaviest vehicle pull by a sword swallower,” “heaviest vehicle pulled using a hook through the nasal cavity and out of the mouth,” “most drink can tops torn off with the teeth,” “most blowtorches extinguished on the tongue in one minute” and “heaviest weight lifted by hooks in the forearms.”