‘AGT’ contestant juggles ball on his head while hugging Howie Mandel — then gets buzzed out in wild moment
Paul Ponce knew some jaw-dropping tricks that left each person watching him amused. Having a passion for juggling, the contestant performed mind-blowing tricks every time he stepped onto the stage. Not only was his audition appreciated by the judges, which earned him a spot in future rounds of ‘America’s Got Talent’, but the stunts he performed in later episodes also made him one of the most popular contestants of 2015.
As a Season 10 contestant, he competed against other highly skilled performers, including his mother, Silvia Silvia, a crossbow archer, and Michael John. During one of his performances, he balanced a football on his head, leaving even the guest judge, Neil Patrick Harris, wondering. In Season 10, Episode 8, he performed his tricks not only on stage but also near the judging panel.
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To make his routine even more engaging, during the Judge Cuts round, Ponce hugged the comedian, Howie Mandel while bouncing a soccer ball on his head. A surprised Mandel appeared to avoid close contact with the contestant, apparently to avoid disrupting the act. However, the highly skilled juggler was prepared for every hurdle. The contest did not only balance the ball, while Mandel said, “He’s touching, what is he doing?” but later made the ball skip a rope on his head. The act showcased sheer balancing skill, which also stunned the actor from ‘How I Met Your Mother’ too was stunned. Harris was seen clapping for the contestant, watching the act in amazement.
Next, the contestant also balanced the ball on the back of his neck, again bouncing it up and moving towards the stage. However, while walking towards the stage, he almost lost his balance, which made both Heidi Klum and Mandel anxious. While Klum clapped, looking at the act at first, she was seen being still, with her eyes wide open. Meanwhile, Mandel yelled, “Oh! Whoa!” However, the contestant climbed up on the stage after a bit of a struggle, which made Klum clap even more intensely, jumping up and down on her seat out of excitement. Once the act finished, Mandel breathed a sigh of relief, and Klum stood for Ponce, giving him a standing ovation.
During his audition, Ponce juggled four hats, alternating by wearing one of them at a time. According to Fandom, he was even seen flinging hats into the air, catching them as they flew back toward him. During these stunts, he managed to move around the stage while also circling the judging panel. It was Mel B who voted “No” during the audition; however, the other three judges, Howard Stern, Klum, and Mandel, intrigued by his performance, voted “yes.” In the Judge Cuts, Stern buzzed out the act. Ponce’s act was not impressive enough to send him into the Quarterfinals. The contestant was eliminated instead of his mother Silvia Silvia.