12-year-old ventriloquist wows ‘AGT’ judges with a daring twist — Simon Cowell calls her 'so talented'
Talent knows no boundaries, and it can be found in people of all ages, as proven by many kid acts on 'America's Got Talent.' During an episode of 'AGT' Season 18, which was released in June 2023, a 12-year-old ventriloquist named Brynn Cummings and her skunk puppet, Penelope, enchanted the esteemed judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara with her unique act, which was a perfect combination of magic and ventriloquism. Before her audition, Cummings stated that she was inspired to get into ventriloquism after seeing Darci Lynne, who emerged as the winner of 'AGT' Season 12 in 2017.
Following her performance, Cummings received a standing ovation from the judging panel. When Vergara was asked to offer her feedback on Cummings' performance, she said, "They're adorable. It was so much fun. It's so great to see you ride up close how good you're doing it. I loved it." Soon after, Mandel chimed in, "This is the season of mashups. The fact that you did magic or mentalism and ventriloquism at the same time, you're amazing."
Furthermore, Klum also couldn't stop herself from gushing over Cummings' performance and went on to say, "I loved it too because you really figured out a perfect little act for yourself. You're part comedian, too. I thought it was a lot of fun, well done." Soon after, Cowell asked Cummings, "When did you realize that you have magic powers?" to which the Michigan native responded by saying, "Umm, when I was about nine years old. I would say."
Then, Cowell further added, "That's cool. You are so talented, so charming, people are gonna root for you. You did something we've never seen, and for me, you never want to see the same thing again, but not quite as good. You want to see it better or different, and that's what you did." Eventually, Cummings received four yeses from the judges and she advanced to the next round of the NBC talent competition.
Once the episode dropped, many fans showered Cummings with lots of love and support in the comments section. One social media user wrote, "Ventriloquism and mentalism together are really unique! This girl is so accomplished at such a young age! Absolutely incredible!" Followed by a second user who penned, "Love it! No sob story! No emotional draw to make you feel something, just pure talent! Her comedy is on point, ventriloquism is on point, and mentalism is on point. She has a great stage presence. Total package. Love it!" Another netizen commented, "Let’s be honest, everyone thought she was gonna sing the moment she stepped in. That was something new, and it was impressive. She’s multitalented, and she will be a star in the future."
Throughout her time on 'America's Got Talent', Cummings gave numerous mind-boggling performances, which consisted of ventriloquism and mentalism routines with her puppet Penelope. Then, Cummings made it to the Top 5 in the semifinal week, but she failed to clinch the winner's title. In case you're wondering, Adrian Stoica and his dog, Hurricane, were crowned as the winners of that particular season.