Simon Cowell brings 11-year-old to tears after abruptly stopping her on 'AGT': 'That was terrible...'
Ansely Burns appeared on 'America's Got Talent' in season 14. The 11-year-old seemed very happy; even Simon Cowell remarked, "You look very excited," before wishing her good luck ahead of her performance. However, an interesting twist came in the episode when Cowell stopped Burns in mid-performance and remarked, "We really like you, but that's terrible." He explained, "I don't think we can judge you properly on this; I don't." Cowell asked Burns, "I think we should do a verse and a chorus, maybe a cappella." Burns, clearly baffled, was seemingly struggling to find the right words. Cowell, out of kindness, asked the young lady, "Do you want some water?"
With a creaking voice, Burns replied, "Uh...yeah." After a bit, she gets back on stage, this time performing without the track. Everyone in the audience cheered and supported her. After the performance, Gabriel Union told Burns, "Your level of professionalism at 12... I mean, I work with people twice and thrice your age, and they don't have the talent that you have in your little finger. You are really something special." Cowell went next: "You just proved the point; personality to me is as important as technical ability." He further added, "And you, my God! We are going to remember you; you have a great voice!"
Burns garnered all 4 yesses from the judges and moved up to the next level. However, her run on AGT was brief. According to Greenville News, the 12-year-old was eliminated from the competition after the Judges Cut round. This time, Cowell cut her mid-performance again, which made the fans furious. One wrote on YouTube, "My goodness! This poor girl was stopped by Simon while singing. Not once? But twice! Then forced to sing acapella! I believe that in time, we'll be seeing her sing quite a lot around the country at singing gigs before she's a professional! I Love The Accent!" Another added, "She deserved the golden buzzer. I swear she has the voice of an angel."
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Now 18, Burns shared in an interview with Canvas Rebel, "Following my participation in “America’s Got Talen”t, which changed my life forever, I have gained the opportunity to perform at crowded festivals around the East Coast and to make connections with individuals in the music industry I never thought I would be able to meet. After singing for a couple of years, I have finally decided what I want to do after high school and what career path I want to take in the future. Currently, I want to go to college for commercial music and still pursue singing and art in the future."
Burns also revealed that "Several years later, I decided to take a chance and audition for another reality show, 'The Voice.' On the show, I made it to the Battle Round, where I had to work with another artist to create a performance." Speaking of not ending up in the finals on The Voice show as well, Burns said, "Even though I did not make it as far as I wanted, what I have been on has taught me how to accept rejection, believe in myself, and always be genuine and authentic, even when it might feel challenging to do so."
