Who is Frankie LaPenna? Famous TikToker hilariously horrifies Mel B and Sofia Vergara in ‘very tight shorts’
The second night of Auditions at 'America's Got Talent' Season 21 saw some memorable hits and disastrous misses. The second episode, which dropped on NBC on Tuesday, saw three TikTok stars make their 'AGT' debut in one night. Famous TikTokers Aniud Sando, Frankie LaPenna, and Rynia Kando showcased their talents on the competition series on Tuesday night. As LaPenna made his way to the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers, prompting the judges to realize he was a famous online celebrity. Dressed in a really tight outfit that showcased his enormous behind, his bu*t became the topic of discussion among the judges. Mel B pointed to his assets and asked Sofia Vergara, "Is that bu*t real?" The 'Modern Family' star quipped, "No! That's padding or the worst [Brazilian Bu*t Lift] in history."
The 28-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, found fame as a TikTok prankster and has millions of followers across his social media accounts, where he posts videos of himself performing silly stunts for laughs. He revealed that his most popular TikTok has 673 million views. During his pre-performance chat with the judges, Frankie didn't disclose much about his performance, only saying, "I'm going to be doing something you have never seen before in your life." However, Sofia Vergara couldn't help but wonder how he'll be able to move around in his "very tight tight tight shorts." But Frankie assured her that his grey shorts were a "tactical" and "intentional" choice, apt for the performance. His talent, as it turns out, was popping balloons using his heavily-padded glutes in quick succession to set some sort of record.
The 'Spice Girls' singer, Mel, was the first to press the X buzzer, within seconds of Frankie starting his bizarre balloon-popping act. Sofia followed suit and quickly pressed Cowell's buzzer as well. Mel also took over Mandel's buzzer and pressed it quickly to end the act at once. Frankie seemed disappointed that his stunt didn't make an impression on the judges, who sent him back with four nos. Although LaPenna's hilarious stunt-driven comedy act fell flat, he didn't leave the 'AGT' sets empty-handed. He took some time out to interact with his followers outside and film a collab video with fellow contestant and internet personality, Abiud Sando.
The two pretended to do a little dance-off together. Furthermore, Sando, dressed in his signature purple and white outfits, shimmied his way to the next round by showcasing his viral dance moves on the AGT stage. Also, Kando impressed the judges by doing impeccable impressions of Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, and Kourtney Kardashian, among others. She too is through to the next round of the competition. 'America's Got Talent' airs new episodes on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. The episodes can also be streamed the next day on Peacock.
