Simon Cowell was speechless on 'AGT' — until this young magician's act literally gave him his voice back
Simon Cowell has to be one of the most difficult judges to impress on 'America's Got Talent,' but once he likes your act, it really means something. In one episode, a 10-year-old magician amazed everyone with his act that seemed to have healing powers. So much so that Cowell, who was feeling under the weather, even got his voice back. The other judges were also mighty impressed, and the young magician received all yeses, easily moving on to the next round.
The contestant in discussion is young British magician Ryland, who amazed the judges with a picture-matching magic act and even performed a 'healing' trick for Cowell, per USA Today. Ryland impressed the judges not just with his magic but also with his charm and humor. "We love magicians here, but it was more than just the magic," Howie Mandel said, while adding, "You are funny, you are talented, and I think everybody here loves you." Cowell, who had lost his voice after feeling under the weather, surprisingly spoke to praise the young contestant as he said, "Ryland, you have almost given me my voice back, which means you really have magic powers."
He then continued, "He's got personality, and he's cheeky. That was a great audition." Ryland then earned four yeses and moved on to the next round. Reportedly, Ryland has been practicing magic since he was two. He previously reached the semifinals of 'Britain's Got Talent' Season 15 with a Rubik's Cube trick, where Cowell was also a judge, per NBC. On 'AGT,' Ryland charmed the audience with his backstory as he revealed, "I was born with magical power." He further added, "My dad is a magician, and he gave me some of the magical powers that he didn't need anymore."
He also shared his dreams, "I want to have a show in Las Vegas like Penn and Teller." As for the $1 million prize? "I'll give some to my mom, my sister, and my dad, and spend the rest on Legos." Fans were also in awe of Ryland's entertaining act and took to the comment section of the YouTube Video to express their admiration. A fan commented, "The kid has a great personality. And he really stuck to his act really well. Great trick, very magnetic charisma." Another added, "the magic is real simple to see through. but the presentation was PERFECT. cant wait to see him performing a more complicated magic!'
Another fan remarked, "Wow, this 10 years old boy is a real magician!! Omg, I can't wait to see what other magic he will do in the competition!!!" while another added, "Ok, he is 10 years old, and he delivered a finale show in an audition show. The storytelling, the delivery, and the execution show how professional this kid is. He really set a high standard for magic." Reportedly, in the 'AGT' semifinals, Ryland performed a touching magic act highlighting the bond between him and his dad, per America's Got Talent Wiki. He made it to the top 5 of the night but didn't get enough votes to reach the top 3, leading to his elimination alongside Alfie Andrew.