‘AGT’ alum says producers ‘intentionally’ sabotaged his performance after magic stunt goes horribly wrong
‘AGT’ contestant Danny Wolverton, who wowed the audience with his levitation acts in season 8, opened up about the pressures of the show. In a 2021 interview with The Post, the former contestant revealed that the makers “try to push acts to do things bigger and better” every week. Wolverton revealed that the show makes the participants push “beyond” what they are capable of. The show is indeed the biggest talent show as Wolverton admitted that it asks the participants to step out of their comfort zones. The now 36-year-old was brought onboard in 2013 while he was still an amateur in performing levitation stunts.
“They don’t like the middle ground of someone who is mediocre. They want an act that is either so good or not really,” Wolverton added. While most of the contestants are skilled in their crafts and come with “big dreams” in their eyes, a few aren’t as established in real life. “You’ll have people going on the show who aren’t very experienced doing what they’re doing,” he revealed. Wolverton also revealed that the contestants who brought their A-game to the auditions are forced to top themselves through the acts pitched by the producers. The makers will push the contestants to perform acts that they want to be done on stage.
“They know how to use leverage. One thing they did with me they made it uncertain whether they were going to pass me,” Wolverton added. The former contestant went on to reveal that he wanted to do a stunt involving a Tesla coil in the third round, but the producers had something else in mind. They asked him to perform a disappearing illusion that he’d never done before. On top of that, he was given only 10 minutes to practice the act. “I’m ducking my head in rehearsals,” but the producers told him not to duck his head. Wolverton was told that the technicians would make the act look “great.”
He didn't duck his head as advised, but it technically gave away the illusion. “What you see in the poof of smoke, and you see from the glint of light, my head appear from the smoke and you see a black screen,” he told the outlet. After Wolverton’s act was technically ruined, he questioned whether the advice came from a place of help. He wondered whether the makers “intentionally” asked him to duck his head and flop his illusion act. However, he never felt he was physically in danger and stressed that the show takes care of its contestants’ safety.
His only concern is the immense pressure that each participant has to endure. Wolverton admitted that the format and global presence of the show can psychological impact on contestants to push themselves beyond their limits. “The problem is the performers can become kind of blinded by the game,” he said. “When you get a taste of fame, it can be corrupting to your own psychology,” the former contestant added. Wolverton didn’t make it to the finals, and it was Lebanese dance crew The Mayyas that lifted the trophy that year.
