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'America's Got Talent' Season 15: Jonathan Goodwin brings his daredevil act to a fiery new level for viewers

Goodwin admitted that his latest stunt, 'Trial By Fire,' was so dangerous that he didn't even get to practice it that much and his own mother didn't want him to try performing it

Another quarterfinal episode of 'America's Got Talent' got underway on the NBC network on August 18 night. The stakes are rising on the million-dollar talent competition, as now these 11 contestants are vying for just five remaining spots in the semifinals. As the ever-smiling host, Terry Crews remarked, it was now up to the nation's viewers who would be deciding who got to be America's next big star. Crews gave a special shoutout to the thousands TV viewers who could be seen on the backdrop of the Hollywood set in Universal Studios and reminded us that we could vote up to 10 times for our favorite acts, before voting closed at 7 am on Wednesday morning, August 19. Viewers can either vote on the NBC site or download the official America's Got Talent app to select their favorite.

Since Simon Cowell was still recuperating from surgery after having an unfortunate bike accident, Kenan Thompson of 'Saturday Night Live' fame was roped in to substitute for him and took his seat alongside the regular judges, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara. Thompson expressed his amazement at how much love the show had been getting, and also urged the contestants to seize their moment, because an opportunity like this wouldn't come again. "Turn those nerves into superpowers," Thompson encouraged, and since they're competing for a million dollars and a headlining spot in Las Vegas, the remaining contestants don't need to be asked twice to bring their A-game.

Jonathan Goodwin, the Welsh daredevil specialist who is currently based in Las Vegas, certainly got the memo, because he upped his danger act to a fiery new level. As Goodwin revealed, he was fascinated with death-defying stunts and had plenty to pull out of his arsenal. However, he also confessed that his latest stunt, "Trial By Fire," was so dangerous that he didn't even get to practice it that much. He also admitted that this stunt, which required him to be set on fire, was so nerve-wracking that his own mother didn't want him to try performing it. But Jonathan is a true professional and wanted to show he had what it takes to entertain millions of Americans on a weekly basis. 

His elaborate-looking setup was deceptively simple. Taking the help of judge Heidi, Jonathan showed her a safety pin and padlock for examination and then revealed that he would be handcuffed and blindfolded in what looked like a medieval restraint device, besides being drenched in fuel. Goodwin revealed that he only had 20 seconds until the safety fuse completely burned out and then engulfed him in flames, putting him at risk of being burnt to a crisp if he didn't escape his shackles in time. Since the stunt was so dangerous, he was also bathed in a fire-resistant gel and was wearing multiple layers of clothing. As it tuned out, Goodwin made short work of his Houdini-esque escape, managing to quickly escape his handcuffs and pick the padlock to release his head which had been sealed up in a steel compartment. However, by this time he had also been set on fire and the concerned judges waited with bated breath to see if he had gotten out unscathed.

A smiling Jonathan confirmed he had emerged safely to risk his life for another day and the judges expressed their relief and praised him to the skies. Thompson admitted that what Jonathan was doing was crazy and that he was really pushing his act to its limits. Heidi also said that she loved it and that it had been a "slow burn" success. Howie also got his own pun in by saying "well done" and also said he genuinely thought that Goodwin might have been in trouble there. Sofia also loved the suspense and insanity of his act and hoped that people would vote for him. 

On social media, people were similarly impressed, with one fan saying that he had nearly gotten a heart attack.

Another viewer was enthralled by his performance, saying it was both scary and awesome. 

It looks like Jonathan has just had one of his strongest showings on 'America's Got Talent', but now it's up to the viewers to decide. Voting stays open till 7 am tomorrow morning, August 19, after which we will have 'America's Got Talent' results show at 8 pm ET on NBC. Make sure you tune in for that!