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BGT Finals Today!

Hey all! I’ve been sick for the better part of this week, so naturally I used it as an excuse to stay in and watch the Britain’s Got Talent Semi-Finals. There were five shows and from each of those two acts moved on to the Finals: the act with the most audience votes, and either the second- or third-highest voted act as chosen by the judges (it’s the same thing as the judges’ save on AGT, and if there is a tie it goes to the audience vote). The judges also choose a Wildcard to perform in the Finals once the first live round is done; this year it’s a blood donation-themed choir.

One thing I was told about but didn’t get to really appreciate until I watched for myself was the wider variety of acts. Yes, most of the finalists this series are singing acts, but they covered so many different styles and genres I didn’t even care. And there were plenty of other types of performers as well, with several comedians, magicians, and dancers; way more than we’ve seen on AGT as of late.

The format is a little different than what I’ve grown accustomed to on AGT. BGT goes right from the audition round to the live Semi-Finals, with an offscreen deliberation in between to decide which acts that passed auditions will perform in the live shows. This can be a blessing for certain performers like the dance groups, balancing acts, and comedians; I often see complaints about these acts on AGT getting stale after awhile, but on BGT no act performs more than three times so the novelty generally doesn’t have time to wear off. Case in point: a balancing act made this years BGT Finals, while I can’t recall a time any of the ones on BGT have even passed the Vegas Week/Judge Cuts round.

However, there are some drawbacks: while both BGT and recent seasons of AGT have the same number of live episodes (six plus Results shows) BGT‘s all take place within a week. I suppose this method makes the show seem more like an event every year, but I like the “breathing room” we get between AGT‘s live shows that makes it easier to keep up with and allows anticipation to build for each one.

Here are some of the Finalists for Series 12 of Britain’s Got Talent! Remember: the stakes at hand are a slot in the Royal Variety Performance later this year!

June 3, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

America’s Got Talent Pre-Season Hype Train: Golden Buzzers and Leaked Performances!

It’s a big week for the Got Talent franchise: BGT Semi-Finals have begun (I couldn’t get the stream up in time but I will watch the performances later today and get back to you on that front!) and tomorrow is the AGT Season 13 premiere!

Right now it’s looking like the format of the show will remain in line with the previous three seasons; the Live Shows don’t start until August, so it’s probably safe to assume the Judge Cuts episodes will start airing in July and we’ll be getting Auditions until then. Also, the Golden Buzzer is confirmed to be back, and we already have some hints on who we’ll be seeing get one:

Simon: Used his on the first day (though we may not see it the first episode, since auditions are aired out of order) for someone with a “great story”. That’s pretty typical for him.

Heidi: 15-year-old singer. Also typical. (Did she not learn her lesson from last season when her’s was the first of the GB’s to be eliminated?)

Howie: Is being more picky with his choice this time but gave no hints on what kind of act it would be.

Tyra: An international act (6000 miles away from California, to be specific) who Simon said was even better than his own choice. From the sounds of it, she chose a variety act, which earns her points with me since 8/9 of last season’s Golden Buzzer’s were used on singers.

Mel B: ??? (No hints here!)

AGT social media has also already treated us to a few “leaks” (but are they really leaks if the show itself is releasing them?) of acts we’ll be seeing this season!

Okay, I’m really excited about Flau’jae. We haven’t actually seen a lot of rap artists on AGT, at least not recently, so I love that she’s bringing in something fresh. She’s also pulling no punches right from the get-go. No doubt she’ll be controversial – we all know the politics-heavy acts have had some difficulty with the audience in the past, and the topic of gun violence is a heated debate in the United States right now – but I have a feeling this kind of serious, passionate performance is going to go over better than the comedy-based political acts we’ve seen in recent seasons. That’s not to say their won’t be detractors – I’m sure there’ll be plenty – but I have a feeling Flau’jae is going to be a top favorite for the people who do really connect with her and her message. If she doesn’t hold back and continues to go for really big and poignant topics like this, I think she’ll be around for awhile.

If you’ve been keeping up with this blog lately, you’ll know my content has kind of fallen by the wayside these past few months. One thing I was intending to do back when auditions and Judge Cuts were filming was a post with the Golden Buzzer hints and other AG-tea I had. I mention this now because one of those tidbits was the fact that this guy was auditioning for the show. I don’t think the acts are technically allowed to reveal they auditioned until shortly before their episode airs, but Shin Lim’s participation in this season has been a pretty open secret since late last year when he mentioned it in a YouTube interview, and I’ve also seen him mention it on Instagram a couple times. For those who don’t know, Shin Lim is quite a big deal in the magic community, performing all over the world including fooling Penn & Teller twice on Fool Us. He’s mentioned wanting to try out some new material on AGT, so if the allow him to show a variety of his talents and we don’t get any technical malfunctions, I think he has a really good chance at making it all the way to the Finals, something none of the magic acts from Season 12 managed to accomplish.

May 28, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

America’s Got Talent Spin-Off Announcement and Show Coverage Update

NBC has just announced a new edition of Got Talent! America’s Got Talent: The Champions will debut in the winter of the 2018-2019 season and feature previous competitors from AGT as well as international versions of the show. The Hollywood Reporter has all the details we know so far!

Speaking of international versions, I want to start covering Britain’s Got Talent as I said I would but have been having trouble with the streams and YouTube and it’s been difficult. I think I’m going to try to get everything sorted out before the live shows start and just cover that week (you guys all know I find reality TV audition rounds tedious after like two episodes anyway) even though it will probably be messy to keep up with considering it’ll be on every single evening.

And can you believe AGT Season 13 starts this month? I haven’t gotten as much info as I would have liked to but I’ll keep searching and put up a “What We Know Pre-Season” type of post within the next few weeks.

May 12, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

Eurovision, Kickstarter, and American Idol: AGT Alumni Update

WARNING: The following post contains spoilers for the current season of American Idol. (As in, results that have yet to air on television.)

I’m waaaay late on this post and for that I apologize. We’ve gotten a lot of new info on the upcoming installments of AGT and BGT (including a cast change) and I’m setting up another article for all those new developments which I’ll get up on here ASAP. But for now, some big things have been happening with AGT alumni so today I’m going to get those updates out of the way. (Alumni Updates in general are going to be taking a backseat going forward as we get closer to the return of the shows themselves).

I know I complain about the gaggle of “karaoke” singers on America’s Got Talent and tend to root for almost anyone else to win, but when the season ends and everyone moves forward in their careers, I genuinely wish all of them the best, and I’ve been so happy to see how well several of them have been doing lately. Season 12’s Mike Yung is crowdfunding an album through Kickstarter. He just met his goal, but you can still donate if you would like any of the rewards, which you can learn more about here.

Johnny Manuel, also from Season 12, has some exciting news: he is part of a group called Equinox who will be representing Bulgaria in this year’s Eurovision competition! Check out their song below.

Season 12 runner-up Angelica Hale was on Little Big Shots this week. She was interviewed by Steve Harvey and of course sang a song as well! (Fellow finalist – and season champion – Darci Lynne Farmer will appear on the Kids Choice Awards broadcast this weekend.)

And speaking of television appearances by alumni…the final and arguably biggest development to share is that Season 9 contestant Mara Justine‘s audition for American Idol recently aired (again, I know I’m way late on this).

As spoiled a while back, Mara moved on the the next round, and thanks to IdolPad we now know that she is one of the Top 14 contestants, which I believe means we will be seeing her in the live shows later this spring!

March 23, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

Britain’s Got Talent Series 12 Premiere Date Announced!

It’s only Tuesday, but lots of Got Talent-related news has already come out this week. So much, in fact, that I’m going to be throwing up TWO posts today to cover it all!

It’s FINALLY been announced that Britain’s Got Talent will return on Saturday, April 14. The new series (the term used for “season” in the UK) will feature fresh talent competing for a spot in the 2018 Royal Variety Performance, with duo Ant & Dec returning to host and Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and David Williams back as judges.

Not much else is known at this time, but it’ll be fun to see what kind of acts pop up this season!

March 13, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

AGT Season 13 Premiere Date and Which Past Contestant is Touring with Imagine Dragons?

Based on the pattern of previous seasons I’d already assumed this, but according to Deadline Season 13 of America’s Got Talent will premiere on Tuesday, May 29 at 8pm Eastern/Pacific. This means if they follow the format they’ve been using lately the live shows will start in August and the finale will be in September.

I also want to take this opportunity to send a big congratulations to Grace VanderWaal, who will be touring with Imagine Dragons this summer. (This was actually announced a couple weeks ago but I’m behind…again. I’m trying to fix that. :P) Tickets are on sale now and you can get them here!

March 6, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

Be in the Audience for America’s Got Talent Season 13 Auditions!

Filming for AGT Season 13 is less than a week away! On-Camera Audiences has announced the first block of tickets for the season with dates ranging from March 6-23. I’m assuming this means the cross-country auditions with the producers are finished and all of these dates are for the first round we see on the show itself, that being the initial auditions in front of the judges.

All of the announced tapings will take place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California. Tickets are free of charge, but only those 10 years and older are invited to attend. Most of the dates from March 6-16 are already booked up, but a few of the weekdays within that time frame still have availability and there are waitlists for all “sold out” shows. Tickets for tapings March 18 and later still have yet to be released.

Let me know if you plan to attend an AGT taping this season and in the meantime I’ll be looking out for more updates. 😉

March 2, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

Is the AGT Judges Panel Getting a Shake-Up for Season 13?

I said I was going to chill out on posting so much during the offseason, but AGT is gearing up for the start of Season 13 in just a few short months and has confirmed their host and judging roster!

I previously reported that Tyra Banks would be returning for her second season as host, as she shared on her Twitter account a few months back. However, for awhile there things seemed to be up in the air regarding the judging panel; as media outlets were reporting Mel B wanted a raise and was becoming increasingly difficult to work with. Just a few weeks ago rumor had it that the producers were looking to replace her with rap artist and actor Queen Latifah.

Well, things have finally become clear, as yesterday the AGT Twitter account posted what seems to be an announcement regarding the panel. So, is Mel B really leaving the show?

And there you have it. It looks like Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, and yes, Mel B, will all be returning to judge Season 13, with Tyra Banks back as host. It’s nice to see Mel stick around, especially since she’s usually one of the stronger advocates for the variety acts, but I do wonder what Queen Latifah would have brought to the table….what do you think of this news?

February 22, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

The Winter Olympics, The Shorty Awards, and American Idol – AGT Alumni Update

WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON OF ABC’S AMERICAN IDOL.

I took the last month off because news was slow, but February has brought some interesting developments. There’s still not a lot of info on the upcoming season yet, but I’m working to compile the small amount of info we have so far into a separate update post. However, a few AGT alumni have been up to some really neat stuff lately.

First off, did anyone catch Just Jerk in the Olympic Opening Ceremonies yesterday? It’s great to see them showing their skills on the world stage! I don’t have the full video yet, but will post it here when I do and will leave you with this Instagram clip of the performance until then.

Another Season 12 dancer is experiencing exciting times right now: Merrick Hanna has been nominated for a Shorty Award! The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media, and Merrick has been nominated as a Dance Influencer. You can vote for him once per day until February 22 on the organzation’s website.

Finally, do you remember Season 9 Finalist Mara Justine? if you don’t, here’s a refresher:

According to IdolPad, Mara will be part of the upcoming ABC reboot of American Idol. So far they have revealed that she auditioned and advanced to the “Showcase” round, in which the top 50 contestants competed for a spot in the top 24. According to the site, Mara performed “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” by Etta James in this stage of the competition, but they do not yet have information on whether or not she advanced from that point. I know I complain about “generic” pop singers on AGT, but I’m always happy to see them take advantage of other opportunities that are geared more towards their style of performance and I was really excited when I found out Mara would be on AI, so I’ll definitely be rooting for her on the show!

Let me know what you think of all this and I’ll be back soon with more updates and rumors (mostly the latter :P) about America’s Got Talent Season 13!

February 10, 2018 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

Win The Ultimate Grace VanderWaal Fan Experience

AGT Season 11 champ Grace VanderWaal is running a contest for her fans!

Grace VanderWaal is inviting 20 FANS and their +1 to join her for an intimate and private performance at an undisclosed location in the New York area on January 20th, 2018. The location will be revealed to 20 FANS lucky enough to be chosen, the day prior to the performance.

We will take submissions until December 30th at midnight EST and the winners will be contacted via email on January 1, 2018.

You can get more details and enter the contest here, and check out Grace’s TODAY Show performance below!

December 29, 2017 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!