After witnessing Mike E. Winfield's performance on America's Got Talent, Howie Mandel offered him a chance to open for him during one of his shows. Mike received four yeses after he auditioned for the judges, and after the judges' deliberation, he got one of the 55 spots in the live semifinals. However, with only two acts from each semifinal round making it into the AGT finals the pressure was on for the acts like never before.
Mike performed during the fourth semifinal round on August 30, and his performance got the crowd and all four AGT judges on their feet. However, what happened after his performance shocked both Mike and host Terry Crews. Now Howie is speaking out about why he made the decision to offer Mike an opening spot for his September 9 show, if the AGT comedian is available during that time.
During his critique to the comedian, Howie stated that he hopes to see Mike in the finals, but that if that doesn't turn out to be the case, he would like Mike to open for him. According to People, when speaking of that offer, the AGT judge stated, "I think he's unique. I think he's a star in himself, I love everything he's talking about. I like the way he dresses and his glasses and the way he looks. I liked everything about him. I think the kid is a star. I thought that was the best performance of the night."
Despite being eager to accept Howie Mandel's offer, Mike is hoping that he will not be available that day due to the AGT finals. Now, it seems like his wish was granted as it was revealed on the August 31 result show that Mike was one of the two finalists who made it through to the finale. This marks the first time a comedian has made it to the AGT finals this season.
Mike secured his place in the AGT finals, and with only one semifinal round left, viewers are eager to see who will join him and the others in the competition. However, if viewers believe that an act went home too soon, they will have a chance to save one of them. After each semifinal round, the four judges will each pick a wildcard act for America to vote on, and the winner of that vote will earn a place in the finals with those results taking place during next results show. If viewers want to see who wins that vote and ultimately takes home the grand prize, they will have to tune in each week to find out. With only two weeks of competition left, anything can happen.
America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on NBC.
Source: People