Spoilers ahead for the performances of the Season 16 finale of America's Got Talent.
Season 16 of America's Got Talent is very nearly at an end, and the final ten competitors have delivered their final performances to try and win the $1 million prize and Las Vegas stage show. There was no weak link among the finalists, even though there is such a variety between them all. That said, comedian Josh Blue was a standout, with Simon Cowell in particular embracing his latest act. And that's in spite of Blue delivering a doozy of a zinger at Cowell's expense! The comedian also shared what he wishes was different about AGT, but on the whole, it was a solid final showing for Blue before the votes.
Josh Blue was the penultimate performer of the night, followed only by Northwell Nurse Choir, and he took the stage to deliver more of what made him such a hit in every performance up to this point. He incorporated his disability into his act, and didn't shy away from directing jokes at certain people and even the audience. By the end, everybody seemed to love it as much in the theater as they have all along. Check out Josh Blue's final AGT performance before the grand finale, and be sure to watch to the end for the Botox joke that even Simon Cowell had to laugh at:
The best thing about Josh Blue building to and then dropping the Botox joke on Simon Cowell honestly might be how much the sometimes grumpy Simon Cowell was clearly loving the whole thing. Cowell looked like he had a pretty good idea that he was going to be the punchline of the Botox part of Blue's set, but he pretty much lost it when Blue finally dropped the "Right, Simon?" Howie Mandel can be heard audibly laughing throughout the set even when the camera wasn't on him, and I think it's safe to say that Blue proclaiming "That's the end of my career!" isn't going to come true.
Whether or not Josh Blue wins America's Got Talent Season 16, his final performance before the votes are in was definitely a fun one. Simon Cowell told CinemaBlend and other outlets following the episode that he predicts Blue will at least be in the top three of the finals, alongside magician Dustin Tavella and teen aerialist Aidan Bryant, who continues his trend of performing dangerous stunts without a net. Where Blue's act differs from some of the others, however, is in length, and AGT actually was seemingly running out of time by the end of his set. He didn't have much time on stage to get feedback from the judges before the music started and he was played off so that Northwell Nurse Choir could close out the night.
So, when Josh Blue stopped by to talk to press at a virtual red carpet event, I asked how he felt about that as his last performance and what winning would mean to him, and he shared what he wishes was different about AGT:
So honestly, they always give me like two minutes, two to three minutes, which if you know anything but standup, that is not enough time. They give the magicians nine minutes, but they give a cripple comedian two minutes, who's a slow talker. [laughs] Sorry, I'm not jaded. [laughs] Honestly, every time I leave this show, I'm just like, I just wish I had like one more minute so I could have like slowed the pacing down to the level that I like to do it. Like, if you see my show, my jokes are much longer and they're just like, I'm going with the vibe. This is like, 'Okay, ready for the next one? What's the next one? Okay, here comes the next thought.' But obviously, I get what I get, so I did what I had to do. And if I win with that set, amazing. If I don't, I'm still very proud of getting to zing Simon Cowell. That feels better than anything. [laughs]
As fans of America's Got Talent have undoubtedly noticed by now, the comedians tend to have to stick to a stricter window of time than others like the magicians, which means that they have to prioritize what they get into their sets and how much time they give the jokes to breathe. Josh Blue wishes that he could have a little bit more time as an AGT comedian, which I have to say is pretty reasonable when some of the other acts definitely get longer. Still, Blue is proud of what he's gotten to do, and he laughed as he shared what he would have different if he could.
And he definitely did get to zing Simon Cowell! Josh Blue also weighed in on finding the balance of fun cheekiness in his comments and downright insulting people. Blue said:
Honestly, it's always been my forte, I love doing it. I love walking the line. I look very wobbly. Like I'm gonna fall over the line. But I never do. People just see that I'm only saying things because I truly love that person. I have no ill intent toward anyone. So it's always just fun to like, get to punch 'em in the face. [laughs]
Josh Blue may take shots at people sometimes, whether Simon Cowell or the audience as a whole or anybody else, but not out of any kind of mean spirit. There's a reason why so many people like him and he's one of only two comedians to make it to the finals, and he seems like he could have a real shot at the top prize of Season 16. Still, the competition is very stiff, and it could be almost anybody's game up until the final votes are counted.
Find out who won America's Got Talent Season 16 with the finale results episode, on Wednesday, September 15 starting at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. It's a different time slot than usual, so be sure not to miss your chance to see if Josh Blue or somebody else will become the first AGT champion since spoken word poet Brandon Leake. Voting is open from now until Wednesday at 7 a.m. ET, so be sure to vote here if you haven't already!
