Are Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel unfair? 'AGT: All-Stars' fans boo as judges call magic and choir 'not worthy'

The final 10 acts took their place on 'AGT' stage and some of them might not have impressed the judges but viewers had a different opinion
'AGT:All-Stars' Simon Cowell & Howie Mandel being biased (@agtauditions/instagram)
'AGT:All-Stars' Simon Cowell & Howie Mandel being biased (@agtauditions/instagram)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The final batch of 10 performers (out of 60 total acts) has taken the stage in front of judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Simon Cowell, as well as host Terry Crews. The fact to remember is that there is no Golden Buzzer this week, so only one act will advance due to the 'AGT' Superfans (whose votes are revealed at the end of the episode). 

In the second act, Eric Chein fascinated us with his magic. He first appeared in 'AGT' Season 14 and, through his impressive acts made it to the semifinals. While Howie and Heidi liked the performance, Simon was not so impressed and said, 'It was cute'. Howie was also not very impressed with the children's choir 'Voices of Hope' and commented that it was okay but the performance was more suitable to 'the morning assembly'. 

RELATED ARTICLES

'He deserves golden buzzer': Peter Rosalita, 11, receives roaring welcome from 'AGT: All-Stars' fans

‘AGT: All Stars' 2023: Judges stunned after Vietnam war veteran Robert Finley does not qualify for finals

What was the judge's verdict?

While the audience loved both acts, the judges didn't seem to share this opinion. Chein's close-up magic really amazed Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel. Howie even said, "You rose to the occasion," a clever pun regarding his actions. But the fans think Simon was a bit harsh. He said, "I like big magic, they like little magic. For me, it didn't have the wow factor." This sounds a bit biased. 

Similarly, the children's choir failed to win over Mandel. The Voices of Hope choir had been on 'AGT' Season 13. Howie disapproved of the choir then, and he doesn't like them now either. Heidi and Simon really loved their performance of 'Together'. Meanwhile, Howie might have been a bit mean and said, "For me, this doesn't rise above a really nice school assembly'. 

Fans think the performances 'were beautiful'

The fans loved both performances and booed when Simon said Eric Chein's magic wasn't good enough. They took to Twitter to express their thoughts " He is an amazing magician How does Eric Chien do it!! he’s excellent." Another one added, "Simon is such a bad critic of magic." Viewers weren't happy with Howie either about the things he said for the children's choir and they called him out on the internet. One user said, "WHY DO YOU HATE KIDS HOWIE." Another user tweeted "I think this rises above a school assembly." Overall, the verdict is that the judges might have been too harsh in their call. Both performances impressed the viewers.



 



 



 



 

'America's Got Talent: All-Stars' airs every Monday at 8/7c on NBC.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.



 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Eddie and Susie plan a casino in the Middle East as the Netflix series returns with a changed cast.
2026-10-24T16:38:18.000Z
An unanswered call sends Sean’s girlfriend to the precinct after news of a police shooting.
2026-10-24T14:03:15.000Z
In an exclusive interview, Donnie Wahlberg shares whether Tom Selleck is open to working in ‘Boston Blue’
2026-10-24T08:19:19.000Z
‘Fire Country’ welcomes a Grammy-winning artist to Smokey's in their latest episode
2026-10-24T06:24:48.000Z
Episode 3 of ‘Sheriff Country’ delves deeper into Eva Santos's (Rachel Ticotin) past
2026-10-24T05:05:00.000Z
'Law & Order: SVU' Season 28 is bringing back a main cast member who exited in Season 5
2026-10-24T03:01:14.000Z
Prime Video’s 'The Greatest' explores Muhammad Ali’s life inside and outside the ring, and now the series has added a former WWE star.
2026-10-23T15:09:43.000Z
Joanne and Noah are married in the eyes of God, but they still need to break the news to their families, who remain at odds
2026-10-23T10:17:27.000Z
Riley’s death in Season 26 marked an emotional moment for viewers, and Episode 3 sees the team navigating through this challenging time
2026-10-23T07:17:55.000Z
Episode 12 opens with a Fiona and Myrtle reunion before a revelation about Constance changes everything
2026-10-23T06:37:10.000Z