‘AGT’ live show takes a hit as magician who wowed judges with AI tricks ‘drops out’ at the last minute
NBC's 'America's Got Talent' fans are slamming the show, and we can totally see why. The milestone season 20 of the popular talent show is at its live show rounds. However, in spite of the glitter and glimmer, the performances are unfortunately not up to the mark. Not only that, but with a popular contestant bowing out of the show, things are getting worse from bad. So much so that fans are openly criticising the show, calling it 'pretty bad.'
During part four of 'America's Got Talent' live quarterfinals, eleven contestants had another chance to showcase their talents, with host Terry Crews revealing who would advance to the semifinals. While some acts were expected to move on easily, the results surprised fans. Notably, AI magician Mastermind, who had advanced last week and received high praise from judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Mel B, and Howie Mandel, unexpectedly dropped out of the competition, as per The US Sun.
The 'AGT' Season 20 contestant withdrew for personal reasons, with no further details disclosed. Fans were disappointed by Mastermind's sudden exit, viewing him as one of the most talented acts with a strong chance of winning. Fans expressed their disappointment on X, with one writing, "Damn. Mastermind withdrew. I was really looking forward to his performance." A fan noted, "Is it just me or are half of these @AGT acts tonight pretty bad? mastermind and the jugglers were pretty interesting, but tha's about it." While another shared, "I am so sad that Mastermind had to drop out!" A fan commented, "The Mastermind withdrawing is a loss but they should have replaced him with one of the others from this season," while another shared, "Bad news, Mastermind has withdrawn from the competiton."
Damn. Mastermind withdrew. I was really looking forward to his performance. #AGT
— Franky (@RKOBlackSwan) September 11, 2025
Notably, the hour-long episode of AGT opens with Crews and Cowell walking through the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, followed by an extended behind-the-scenes clip package. Vergara expresses that she's "amazed" at how quickly the quarterfinals are moving and is "so glad." Mandel had to admit he was wrong about Zak Mirz and retract his red X. Mel B tells Mandel he's "nuts" for not giving TT Boys a Golden Buzzer, noting he can't rewind because he has no "special privileges." After Chuck Adams' performance, Mel B rushes the stage during a commercial break to praise him.
Cowell criticizes Gendai for performing 'Singing in the Rain' without actual rain, then gives kudos to the Birmingham Youth Fellowship Choir, his former Golden Buzzer from the auditions, as per Gold Derby. During the results, host Crews revealed the top five acts based on America's votes, while the bottom five were sent home. The pairings included Birmingham Youth Fellowship Choir vs. The Funkateer Dancers, with both advancing; TT Boys vs. Crash Adams, with TT Boys moving on; Gendai vs. Mike Munz, with neither advancing; Cole Swensen & Judy vs. Zak Mirz, with Zak advancing; and Chuck Adams vs. The BoykinZ, with Chuck moving forward. Team Recycled, who received Mandel's Golden Buzzer, automatically advanced to the finals.