Heidi Klum hugs an emotional contestant who struggled to speak English on 'AGT': 'I am a fisherman...'
'America's Got Talent' has to be one of the most celebrated reality TV competitions, which welcomes contestants from all across the globe. However, there have been times when these international participants looked visibly nervous. In one such instance, a contestant from the Philippines struggled to express himself in English; however, Heidi Klum stepped in to save the day. In a touching moment, Klum not only encouraged this participant but also embraced him with a heartfelt hug.
The contestant in discussion is Roland Abante, who grabbed major headlines during his 'America’s Got Talent' audition. Although Abante had his own interpreter, he was still visibly nervous. At the start, Klum welcomed Abante, saying, "Hello, what is your name and where are you from, sir?" to which Abante replied in broken English, "I'm Roland Abante. I am from the Philippines." When asked what he would be doing, Abante indicated he would be singing, prompting applause from the audience. Klum then followed up, "So are you a singer in the Philippines?" Abante went on to explain that he only sings for fun, as his interpreter explained, "In the Philippines, he's just singing in the neighborhood where they have karaoke."
Simon Cowell then chimed in and asked if Abante had a day job. Roland explained that in the Philippines, he works as a fisherman in the morning and spends his afternoons driving a motorbike to deliver passengers and goods. Klum reacted warmly, calling it "amazing." When asked why he came to 'America's Got Talent,' Abante became emotional and said, "Every night I see [AGT] in my cell phone only because... this is my big dream to be here," tearing up at the moment. Klum kindly offered, "Roland, do you want to have a hug before you start, or are you good?" Abante politely declined, saying, "Okay, okay."
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In a heartwarming moment, Klum stepped on the stage and gave Abante a heartfelt hug with the audience cheering on. Howie Mandel also joked supportively, "Wow, that's the biggest catch of the day!" Klum then asked Abante, "Are we ready now?" to which Abante nodded, and she encouraged him, saying, "Good luck to you." Abante then stunned everyone with a powerful rendition of Michael Bolton's 'When a Man Loves a Woman.'
Following the performance, Mandel chimed in and said, "Heidi, that hug really worked," to which Abante replied, 'Thank you.' Klum was also impressed with Abante's singing abilities, as she said, "I don't think you could have done it better. Mic drop." All four judges voted 'yes' to send Abante to the next round, and he was later selected for the semifinals. In the next episode, Abante performed Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You,' earning standing ovations from all four judges, as per America's Got Talent Wiki. Sofia Vergara said, "I know that the people have been watching you, your audition, and people love you," adding, "Coming from your country, from karaoke, good job tonight. You are amazing; you deserve to be on the AGT," as per Philstar.
Cowell also shared his admiration, saying, “How could you not? I mean, particularly when I saw the film and what happened after the audition and how much this means to you," and added, "You are singing your life now on the stage... I know America loves you, and rightly so." Klum called the performance "beautiful" and said, "To be honest, one of my favorites of tonight," even adding, "If there's another golden buzzer that could push you right to the finale, I would push it for you right now." Despite garnering glowing remarks from the judges, Abante did not receive enough votes to enter the top 5, and he got eliminated from the show instead of Chibi Unity.