'AGT' audience member reveals what producers told the crowd before cameras rolled: 'Do not stop...'
It looks like the skeletons of 'America’s Got Talent' are finally out of the closet! Renowned for offering a prestigious platform to a wide range of talents, 'America’s Got Talent' has been winning fans' hearts since it debuted in 2006. While the performances on the show are mostly jaw-dropping, it's the reactions of the judges and audience that make the experience even more exciting. However, in a shocking confession, an audience member came forward with some surprising revelations about the show.
In a 2017 article for The Occidental News, Kristine White opened up about her experience of being a studio audience member for 'AGT.' White shared her experience sitting just a few rows behind the judges at the 'America’s Got Talent' Season 12 auditions. According to White, before filming, a staff member instructed the crowd, saying, "You cannot leave your seats for the next three hours. You will be seen on camera, so DO NOT stop smiling. You will react to everything the judges say. EVERYTHING."
Then, Chuck, the audience supervisor, announced, "I have $250 to give away tonight in $25 increments. To win, all you have to do is exactly what I say." White shared how she endured hours of forced laughter led by a Chuck as the increments were to capture reaction shots. Notably, Chuck directed the 3,000-strong audience to laugh on cue, first hesitantly, then increasingly loudly. She further revealed that despite the growing laughter, Chuck kept insisting, "MORE! More!" until the audience was fully engaged. White recalled, "People were slumped back in their seats, painfully laughing. Some had actually fallen out of their seats."
View this post on Instagram
White further described the experience as exhausting, as she said, "Tears rolled down my cheek. My mascara was not waterproof. I clutched my aching abs as I looked pleadingly at Chuck for the sweet release of death." After what felt like forever, Chuck finally allowed the audience to pause but then said, "Great! It looks like we still have about 10 minutes before the judges arrive, so let's do some more laughing while waiting." The cycle of reacting to imaginary acts continued, from "daredevil acts" to "adorable little girls singing about bunnies" and "breathtaking pieces that pulled us to our feet."
White further shared how, with $25 on the line, she gave "the greatest performance of my acting career," hoping it would "grant me my Screen Actors Guild card." When the judges arrived, White got to high-five them, noting, "The legendary Simon Cowell slowly made his way to his seat and shook my (very) sweaty hand." She At the auditions, White shouted, "'HI SIMON, I AM A BIG FAN OF YOUR WORK, AND BY WORK I MEAN ONE DIRECTION,'" right in Cowell's face.
Cowell "nodded and smiled," treating it like just another day at the office. White further shared that she felt she was "very convincing in my role." Although bound by an NBC disclaimer preventing discussion of the acts until the show aired on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, White left the filming "satisfied by my performance," even though "I did not win the $25. Talking about her unique experience, White said, "Resident sadist Chuck rewarded it to a very small girl with pigtails sitting in the front row. But that, I suppose, is showbiz."
Notably, 'AGT' Season 20 made its grand premiere on Tuesday, May 27, with a new format. Talking about the unique and first-of-its-kind format, the creator and judge Cowell shared, "This season is special; I reckon we’re showing about 40% more of the process and everything that goes on behind the scenes, which I find fascinating," as per People. He added, "This year, fans will get to see what it’s like to be a contestant: the highs, the nerves, and the emotions. Everything."
