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‘AGT’ judge Howie Mandel buzzes flaming stunt mid-performance despite the crowd loving it

One viewer said, "Judges should never ever press the buzzer during the performance of a dangerous act."

'America's Got Talent' has long been a stage for the bizarre and unforgettable. However, every now and then, an act comes that blows the judges away but also leaves them divided. Such was the case with Ray World and his mom, which turned out to be as divisive as it was daring of an act for the judges. The performance began in an Indiana Jones-esque set with 'Ray World' written in the Indiana Jones font all over. As the audience cheered, Ray World's mom stood center stage with a whip. And there came World running with a flaming hat, boots ablaze, and swinging a whip that was literally on fire.

The performance got progressively wilder as World's mother literally set ablaze props on stage with a big, hulking flamethrower. Despite the act looking undeniably dangerous, the audience and the judges couldn't control their laughter, as it was oddly hilarious to see these two elderly people run around and play with fire. The goofiness was clearly intentional; this was highlighted by a moment when World’s mom accidentally lit her own backside on fire and waddled around comically as World prepared for his next crazy stunt behind her.

However, just as he was about to continue, something unexpected happened: Howie Mandel, who looked visibly uncomfortable throughout the performance, pressed the red buzzer. Unfazed by the buzzer, the duo proceeded to perform. What followed was something truly jaw-dropping. World locked his arms, legs, and neck and then climbed into a tub full of flammable liquid. Without hesitation, World's mom set the entire tub ablaze with her flamethrower. The laughter quickly faded; everyone had a face of concern now, waiting for World to come out of that tub, as there was a tense silence in the room.

Moments later, World emerged out of the tub smiling and jumping without a scratch on him, but with a huge fire still roaring on his back. With the fire still ablaze on World, the elderly duo embraced each other as World's mother gave him a heartfelt kiss on the cheek. The performance finally ended as the crewmates came in with extinguishers to douse the fire. Everyone rose to their feet with applause as the duo cheered and smiled on stage, everyone except Mandell. Sofia Vergara called the duo 'the craziest pairing she has ever seen,' with the other judges showering the duo with praise.

However, the moment Mandell's turn came to speak, the audience started booing since he was the only judge who pressed the red buzzer. However, he did have some valid claims. As Terry Crews asked Mandell why he 'buzzed' the duo, Mandell replied, "Because I love my mom, and if you love your mom, you don't set her on fire. Even the safety guy has a helmet, and his mom has a straw hat and a flamethrower; it's just wrong." Various fans of 'AGT' shared the sentiment by calling the act 'distasteful,' as reported by Express UK. Once the video of the duo was up on YouTube, various other users criticized Mandell's move. As reported by Good Housekeeping, one internet user commented, "Judges should never ever press the buzzer during the performance of a dangerous act. What if the buzzing sound broke their concentration, and because of that, something went terribly wrong?"