Spoilers ahead for the special installment of America's Got Talent on July 25, called "Simon's Most Memorable Auditions."
Season 18 of America's Got Talent has been going strong in the 2023 TV schedule, but the hit NBC show took a break from the fresh auditions to go on a blast to Simon Cowell's past. Cowell has been a judge on both America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent, and he teamed up with Terry Crews for "Simon's Most Memorable Auditions" to revisit the most unforgettable auditions that he's witnessed. There were some who made Cowell's ranking that I definitely didn't expect, and while it was a fun way to spend two hours on a Tuesday evening, I'm left still wondering about when Sofia Vergara will hit her Season 18 golden buzzer.
Simon Cowell's Most Memorable Auditions
Simon Cowell goes way back in the Got Talent franchise, as creator and executive producer as well as judge for America's Got Talent and Britain's Got Talent. Most of his picks for the Top 16 most memorable auditions were performers from AGT rather than BGT, but his picks for #1 and #2 were both from the British side of the pond. Take a look:
- 16. Ichikawa Koikuchi - BGT Season 16 - Novelty act
- 15. Chapel Hart - AGT Season 17 - Singing group with original songs
- 14. Tape Face - AGT Season 11 - Mime
- 13. Callum Scott - BGT Season 9 - Singer
- 12. Avery Dixon - AGT Season 17 - Saxophonist golden buzzer winner
- 11. Ashleigh & Pudsey - BGT Season 6 - Dog act
- 10. Ben Lapidus - AGT Season 17 - Comedy singer and parmesan lover
- 9. Sacred Riana - AGT Season 13 - Illusionist who freaked out Mel B.
- 8. Drake Milligan - AGT Season 17 - Singer who could have quit early
- 7. Zurcaroh - AGT Season 13 - Acrobatic group
- 6. Shin Lim - AGT Season 13 - Magician and champion
- 5. Archie Williams - AGT Season 15 - Singer
- 4. Men With Pans - AGT Season 12 - Novelty act
- 3. Mayyas - AGT Season 17 - Dance group and champions
- 2. Musa Motha - BGT Season 16 - Dancer
- 1. Susan Boyle - BGT Season 3 - Singer
Early on in the episode, Cowell told Terry Crews that he'd ranked sixteen auditions rather than just fifteen because he just couldn't narrow it down any further, and he certainly picked a variety of acts! If you'd told me last year that Ben "The Parmesan Cheese Song" Lapidus would have ended up on a list of Simon Cowell picking things he liked, I might not have believed it! Ashleigh & Pudsey were less surprising, given Cowell's love of dog acts, and I don't think any Got Talent fan on either side of the pond could dispute Susan Boyle as the most unforgettable.
Several of those who made Cowell's list were also golden buzzer winners, which just reminded me that Sofia Vergara has yet to hit her buzzer for an act who could become America's Got Talent's next champion. Her choice of Mayyas for Season 17 certainly paid off, as they were the winners!
Where Is Sofia Vergara's Golden Buzzer?
AGT Season 18 has delivered five golden buzzers so far: Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Terry Crews all hit theirs, and the group banded together to all hit the button for Mzansi Youth Choir in the premiere. Sofia Vergara just hasn't hit hers yet, even after two moms' performance of a Wicked song moved her and Klum to tears last week. Is this because Vergara was being discerning about choosing who she'd want to advance all the way to the live shows? Or was her pick such a showstopper that AGT wants to save it for the very last auditions episode?
We can only speculate at the time of writing, but after seeing the original Mayyas audition again as part of Simon Cowell's picks for the most memorable, I'm more ready than ever to see who Vergara hits her golden buzzer for in Season 18. There are still two more episodes of auditions on NBC's schedule, so at least one more episode will air without any golden buzzer being hit unless the judges bend the rules again. I'm just not sure why AGT aired the Simon Cowell special episode now instead of after finishing the auditions!
Sofia Vergara's buzzer is coming sooner or later, so keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET for new episodes of America's Got Talent Season 18. You can also revisit earlier episodes of the current season streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription.
