Golden Buzzer twist on ‘AGT’ Season 20 has judges playing it sneaky — we are loving it
Throughout the years, one of the most interesting elements of 'America's Got Talent' has been the Golden Buzzer. When a judge hits the Golden Buzzer, gold confetti falls from the ceiling as the studio audience goes wild, and in most cases, the contestant standing on the stage of the NBC talent competition gets overwhelmed with emotions. For the unversed, let us share with you that every act needs at least three yeses from the judging panel to advance to the next round. If a judge gets very impressed by an act, then they end up pressing their Golden Buzzer, which was first introduced during the tenth season. After getting a Golden Buzzer, an act directly moves on to the Live Shows.
Over time, the number of Golden Buzzer presses available to every judge has changed each season. For 'America's Got Talent' Season 20, every judge, including Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, and Mel B, will have the chance to hit the Golden Buzzer twice during the auditions. In addition to this, Terry Crews, the host of the beloved talent show, will also get two Golden Buzzers of his own.
While having a conversation with NBC Insider, Mel candidly spoke about her two Golden Buzzers for the latest season of the show and said, "Both my golden buzzers, I knew. And I'm like, 'Nobody on the desk knows that I'm gonna buzz?' I even went to everybody else to see what they thought. I played it well, because I was like, 'Yessss, it's mine!'" Soon after, Vergara recalled, "The first time I did a Golden Buzzer was my first day at work on AGT. And so it was amazing. And it's an amazing feeling to have a connection with this person."
On the other hand, Mandel subtly hinted that this year, he hit one of his Golden Buzzers for an act that had him hooked within 30 seconds. "This is my favorite Act, I think my favorite Act of the season so far, my favorite Act of all time," Mandel said. During the premiere episode of 'AGT' Season 20, which was released on May 27, New Orleans street performer Jourdan Blue sang a breathtaking rendition of 'Breakeven' by The Script, and he received a standing ovation from the judges and the studio audience. Not only this, but Blue also earned Mandel's Golden Buzzer.
As per Gold Derby, when Mandel was asked to give his feedback on Bleu's performance, he exclaimed, "I've seen dreams come true right where you're standing--lives change right where you're standing. And that stage and that moment can take you anywhere. And this is just the beginning of where you can go. You, young man, are going to the stratosphere." Then, Vergara also showered Blue with praise and said, "I mean, I'm in love with you--the hair, the voice, your energy--you're a rock star." Mel gushed over Blue's tonality and enthused, "Your tone and the way that you delivered that song were not only pitch perfect but everything perfect." Meanwhile, Cowell told Blue, "You have such a distinctive voice, you are so cool, and you feed off the audience. How you made me feel just then was actually amazing."
