Amadou Diallo, a 20-year-old contortionist from Columbus, Ohio, left the judges and audience of “America’s Got Talent” in awe during the premiere of the show’s 20th season. Diallo, originally from Guinea, bent his body in astonishing ways, even popping his ribs and other body parts out of place. “I genuinely have never seen that in my life, ever,” Simon Cowell remarked.
“Everyone is gonna be talking about this when they see it. I promise you.”
Fellow judges were equally amazed. “I don’t think anybody has ever seen anything like that before in their entire lives,” said Howie Mandel.
Sofia Vergara added, “I mean, we’ve seen a lot of contortionism on this show, but he took it to another level.”
The Columbus Dispatch reported that Diallo put in a lot of hard work to perfect his act. Since arriving in the U.S. a year ago, he worked two jobs from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., five days a week, squeezing in rehearsals afterward. It paid off, as he received four yes votes to remain in the competition.
Contortionist wows AGT judges
The premiere wasn’t short on other jaw-dropping performances. Two acts received a coveted Golden Buzzer, which sends them directly to the live shows later in the season.
Howie Mandel awarded his Golden Buzzer to Jourdan Blue, a 23-year-old busker from New Orleans. Blue’s rendition of The Script’s hit “Breakeven” was a show-stopper. “I’m in love with you,” Vergara said.
“The hair, the voice, your energy. You’re a rock star!” Mandel added, “This stage and that moment can take you anywhere. And this is just the beginning of where you can go.”
Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer went to LightWire, a Brazilian act known for their immersive art involving light and movement.
“You never know if you’re going to see something better than you’ve seen before,” Cowell said, “and this was one of the most beautiful, stunning acts.”
“America’s Got Talent” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock.
