Simon Cowell reveals the real reason behind his hand-raising gesture on 'AGT'
'America's Got Talent' judge Simon Cowell is finally spilling the beans on his signature judging quirk. In the last couple of years, the fans have observed how Cowell raises his hand to stop a singer mid-performance after listening to a couple of notes. According to NBC, during the AGT's 20th birthday party special, Mel B said, "Simon has this thing… he will just stop the audition. And then the whole vibe in the room just goes...[screeching to a halt]." Soon after, Cowell entered the conversation and confessed, "It’s not easy because the minute I hold my hand up, I’m like, 'Here we go, the audience are just gonna hate me.' I do it because I’m thinking, 'I don’t think we’re going to air this.'"
View this post on Instagram
On the other hand, Howie Mandel also reflected on Cowell's unexpected move that brought many 'AGT' auditions to a halt and quipped, "The reality is, he’s got an ear for this, and he’s giving them another chance, and sometimes that chance is a tough chance," while referring to the 'AGT' Season 13 contestant Daniel Emmet, who didn't come ready with a second song. At that point, Cowell gave Emmet an hour to learn a second song, and he took up the challenge and turned things around in his favor.
Shortly afterward, Mel further added, "99.9% of the time [Cowell redirects an Audition], it works out." Speaking of Emmet, these days, he is busy touring with David Foster, and he says that he is "especially grateful" to Cowell, who saw the potential in him. Cowell also pulled his signature move when Gina Bellina and her granddaughter, Lilliana, took over the stage during an episode of 'AGT' Season 20.
For the unversed, let us share with you that Lilliana secretly signed her grandmother up to audition for 'AGT' Season 20. Bellina kicked off her audition by singing an original song, and she was backed up by a band and her granddaughter, Lilliana, who played electric guitar. Just a few seconds into her performance, Cowell raised his hand and stopped the audition. Then, Cowell said, "OK, right, um…Hang on a second."
Immediately, Cowell asked Bellina's granddaughter, "Lilliana, do you sing?" to which she responded, "I do." Without wasting any time, Cowell asked Lilliana, "Can I hear you sing it?" In a flash, Lilliana was on the stage and auditioning for 'AGT' Season 20. Before singing her grandmother's song, Lilliana said, "That's a lot of pressure." However, Lilliana managed to get her nerves under control, and she stunned everyone with her powerful vocals.
View this post on Instagram
Once Lilliana wrapped up her performance, Cowell told her, "You’ve got Gina here, but weirdly, Gina got you here. You’ve got the better voice. You’re cool, and I think people are going to root for you. So, as long as you, Gina, are prepared to let Liliana sing, this could work.” Then, Sofia Vergara said, “We would have never known you had this beautiful, beautiful voice if Simon hadn’t asked you to sing. I think people are going to love you.” Ultimately, Lilliana received three yeses, and she made it to the next round.
