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‘AGT’ judges scream as acrobat balances on wobbly metal tower with knives inches from his head in wild act

This was only the second time that the Cuban national had attempted the death-defying act

‘America’s Got Talent’ is known for its ability to introduce us to acts that are both stunning and terrifying. In Season 17, Chiko, a Cuban citizen who lives in Spain, delivered one such mind-blowing performance. With the help of judge Sofia Vergara as his translator, Chiko told the judges that he was about to perform a "very dangerous balancing act.” The announcement immediately piqued the curiosity of the audience and host Terry Crews, all eager to witness what was in store. 

A tall metal table stood at the center of the stage, and Chiko began his act by climbing onto it. His partner, standing below, passed him additional metal bars, two of which he placed on the edges of the table and connected them with the third. He then placed a rod at the center of the connecting bar and, using just one hand, lifted himself, balancing his entire body. If that wasn't enough, he then slowly turned while continuing to balance himself. Vergara, visibly frightened, exclaimed "No!" as the crowd cheered.

Chiko's act was still far from over, and Crews' warning—“Do not try this at home”—before the start of the act resonated with viewers and the audience. Chiko then began stacking more iron beams on top of each other, and kept climbing up those, higher and higher, balancing himself steadily. "It's so wobbly," a concerned Heidi Klum said, and Howie Mandel nodded in agreement. Vergara, by now, was at the edge of her seat, almost wanting to look away from the death-defying act.  

What Chiko did next saw the audience erupt in cheers. He placed his hands on each wobbly iron frame and lifted himself in a handstand, his legs stretched out in a T-shape. But here was more left. He asked for more iron beams to stack on top of the already scarily high frame, forcing Crews to exclaim, "He's going up again!" And up he went. The audience was awestruck, some with their jaws wide open. "Look how high that is," Klum said with a nervous smile. After increasing the height, he dropped two knives from the top bars and lifted himself again in another balancing handstand, the knives placed just below his head. 

Visibly scared, Klum and Vergara held each other tightly. The audience erupted once again as Chiko gently broke out of the stand. "Yay!" Klum screamed amid the loud cheers and applause from the audience. “How long have you been doing this act for?” Simon Cowell asked. To his surprise, Chiko said that this was just the second time that he had performed it. "That was really scary, amazing. I love it,” Howie Mandel siad. "I wanna see what else you’re gonna do,” Klum added. As per Fandom, Chiko also auditioned for 'Spain's Got Talent: All Stars' but did not advance to the final.