After years of judging various talent shows, it’s not often fans see Simon Cowell get emotional over a performance. Well, Tom Ball certainly accomplished that on America’s Got Talent: All-Stars.
In a recent episode of the NBC series, the Britain’s Got Talent season 15 runner-up came onto the stage to vie for a spot in the competition. Already known for his impressive vocals, Tom stunned everyone when he sang a moving rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s hit track “The Sound of Silence.” At the end of the performance, Simon, Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum gave him a standing ovation. But the head judge surprised folks when he immediately got serious with his feedback.
“I’m actually angry about something,” Simon said on the show. “I wish this was the first time I’d ever heard Tom in a weird way.”
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He continued: “You’re like Susan Boyle’s grandson. What you do is not what we expect. For me, this is the best performance I’ve seen all series.”
As fans may know, Susan was a runner-up on the third season of BGT and she shocked the former American Idol judge while performing the Les Misérables tune “I Dreamed a Dream.” Her appearance on the show quickly launched a singing career.
Simon first heard Tom back in spring 2022 and just like him, AGT: All Stars fans were wowed by Tom’s audition. They quickly shared their thoughts on social media as the video from the episode went viral.
“Cannot stop playing this. His tone and vocal range are outstanding AND he just seems like such a lovely guy. What a beautiful, flawless performance,” one person wrote on YouTube. “Such a humble guy. Came from the heavens. He hit every note & tune on point! Very touching [and] beautiful voice,” another added. “I can genuinely say, this is the best performance vocally, that I have seen on any talent show. Just WOW,” a different user exclaimed.
As for whether Tom made it to the next round — he definitely did. In another surprising twist, he received the Group Golden Buzzer from all three judges, proving he’s one contestant folks need to watch out for throughout the season.
Editorial Assistant
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.