Move over, Simon Cowell! Howie Mandel just became the new Grinch of ‘AGT’ — even the judges called him out
If you think that Simon Cowell is the meanest judge on 'AGT,' you are in for a surprise. Like millions of contestants, Thomas Evans walked on the stage of 'AGT' in 2021 with dreams in his eyes and a jump rope in his hands. Dressed in a black half-cut jacket and black shorts, Evans kicked off his energetic, high-paced jump rope act, showcasing a difficult routine. The 33-year-old Seattle artist managed to impress the judges, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and even Cowell. However, Howie Mandel was not convinced and said, "It's not good. I don't like it," before buzzing Evans mid-performance.
Klum, who was stunned by Mandel's reaction, said to the fellow judges, "Could you just yell at Howie?" Yet, Evans continued, without being bogged down. The artist demonstrated jaw-dropping rope skills, athletic precision, and agile footwork. He performed double unders, crisscrosser covering the entire stage while maintaining the same tempo throughout his performance. As the act ended, Cowell didn't hold back from criticizing Mandel and said, "Well, we weren't expecting that. Let's start with Mr Grumpy."
Mandel tried to explain his reaction and said, "Listen, I couldn't do that, but I see people doing that all the time," prompting an interruption from all three judges. Cowell said, "Where? At the gym?" Host Terry Crews also said, "It's the gym he is talking about." Cowell continued and asked Mandel, "What gym do you go to?" Klum commented, "You don't even go to the gym." Feeling the heat, Mandel tried to explain himself once again, but this time was cut off by Vergara, who said, "You are the Grinch!" Though Mandel didn't change his mind, Evans proceeded to the next round with three "yes" votes.
But it wasn't the only act that earned Mandel the new title of being a "mean" judge. According to Talent Recap, the comedian once again had to face criticism from his fellow judges for buzzing another act on the day: Bob’s Dance Shop. “This is my Bob,” Mandel said, pointing to his red buzzer. “This is my self-expression.” Next came Tory Vagasy, who belted out a beautiful theatrical song during the audition, but once again, Mandel didn't overcome gave in to his mean streak and said, “You have the energy, you have the stage presence, you check every box, but honestly, I don’t enjoy that kind of music, so for me it’s a no." However, the other three judges gave her "yes" votes.
According to USA Today, Mandel was once scolded by a mother for being rude to her nine-year-old son, Daniel. Another recent example was in season 20 when Mandel criticized the performance of a 13-year-old Evelyn Errante, who stole the other judges' and the audience's hearts with a challenging 'Wicked' song. After the performance, Mandel told Errante, "You are a lovely young lady who knows exactly what she wants to do, and what you really wanna do is not really something I respond to," earning a lot of boos from the audience. Though judges' comments often walk a fine line between being honest and rude, one thing is clear: Mandel is the 'AGT's new Simon Cowell.