America's Got Talent
News (Page 2)

As Boston was celebrating an NBA title last night, the rest of the country was marveling at its own abundance of talent. Yes, a certain reality show is back and it's part of our recap below...

America's Got Talent: We meet the judges via small features that remind us that Piers Morgan won The Celebrity Apprentice, that Sharon Osbourne is royalty in the world of rock, and that the Hoff is a legend... -- TV Squad

Hell's Kitchen: The episode started with Jen admitting in the confessional that she might need friends at this point, something she tries to accomplish by sucking up to Christina... -- TV Guide

America will have talent again this summer. And we now know on which date we'll begin to watch it.

NBC has announced America's Got Talent's third season will premiere with a two-hour broadcast on Tuesday, June 24.

Following the show's debut, the network will air another America's Got Talent two-hour broadcast on Tuesday, July 1, with one-hour episodes commencing July 8 in its regular time slot: Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

Due to NBC's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing - which commence August 8 - America's Got Talent will take a brief hiatus until August 26, after which performance episode broadcasts will resume airing Tuesdays, while results shows will begin airing the following day.

America's Got Talent will be returning for a third season on NBC this summer.

The America's Got Talent 3 audition dates, times and locations follow. Remember: This competition is subject to applicable rules, which are subject to modification at any time in the producer's discretion.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Saturday, January 26
Royal Plaza Hotel, Walt Disney World Resort
1905 Hotel Plaza Blvd.
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Wednesday, January 30
Doubletree Hotel
315 4th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37219

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
Saturday, February 2
The Blake Hotel
555 S McDowell St
Charlotte, NC 28204

So long, Twiggy.

Hello, Paulina Porizkova.

That's the message sent out by the producers of Amerca's Next Top Model, as a change to the judging panel has been made due to scheduling conflicts. Twiggy will be vacating her post next year.

"We are thrilled to have Paulina as a part of this cycle's judging panel," America's Next Top Model executive producer Ken Mok said in a statement. "The show and participants will benefit a great deal from her vast modeling knowledge and expertise."

Don't worry, fans: Miss J. Alexander and photographer Nigel Barker will be sitting on either side of Tyra Banks at the judges' table next year, as usual.

"We would like to thank Twiggy for her great contributions to the show," Mok said. "Having an icon like Twiggy lend us her considerable expertise has elevated our show to a whole new level. We wish her well in her endeavors and hope to collaborate with her in future Cycles of America's Next Top Model as well as other projects."

Porizkova appeared on Dancing with the Stars last season, but was voted out early.

Terry Fator, a 42-year-old singing ventriloquist from Dallas conquered all on the second season of America's Got Talent. He was named the winner of the show during last night's live finale broadcast.

"Thank you America, thank you so much America," Fator said after a final celebratory performance that followed host Jerry Springer's announcement that home viewers had voted Fator the show's second-season winner.

As this season's victor, Fator - who defeated Cas Haley, a 26-year-old reggae singer to win the competition - received a $1,000,000 prize and the show's "Best New Act In America" title.

Unfortunately for Fator, however, unlike the winners of most other reality shows, he won't actually be receiving the full cash prize any time soon.

Instead, Fator's $1,000,000 prize will be paid over via a lottery prize-like 40-year period. Fator can (and probably will) opt to pass on the $25,0000 annual payments and instead receive a lump sum; should he do so, though, the present cash value of the prize will be no more than several hundred thousand dollars.

After revealing Fator's victory, Springer also revealed that Fator would also be receiving one more prize.

"We've got one more surprise for you," Springer said. "We know your dream is to play Las Vegas, [so] we're going to make that dream come true. You're going to be playing the Jubilee Theater at Bally's Resort."

Congrats to him!

Move over, Boy Shakira.

Paul Potts is to perform on the season finale of America's Got Talent next month.

The Britain's Got Talent champion, who releases his debut album One Chance this week, will sing in front of judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and David Hasselhoff on the US version of the hit TV talent hunt.

His wife Julie-Ann has been given a three-month sabbatical from her job in insurance to allow her to accompany him on the trip.

An insider said: "Paul really wanted her by his side to experience all of this - especially while everything is so new. She's been able to live through every moment with him.

"Paul has only had chance to return home once for a few hours since winning Britain's Got Talent as he's been so busy recording the album, so he's delighted Julie-Ann has been able to travel with him."

VoteForTheWorst.com which sprang to fame by supporting some of the more vocally challenged singers on American Idol has now set its sites on America's Got Talent.

Just like American Idol 6 viewers, America's Got Talent 2 viewers are scratching their heads in utter confusion and disbelief over some of the talent that the judges have put through to the viewer voting rounds.

One of the acts generating the most controversy is Boy Shakira, a male impersonator of Shakira. For his act, Boy Shakira doesn't sing but merely dances around the stage rather badly. When Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan decided to put Boy Shakira through to the next round during the Chicago auditions, David Hasselhoff was so agitated that he walked off the set.

What at first appeared to be a rather amusing joke on the Hoff has now progressed much further than that. During the America's Got Talent 2 Las Vegas callbacks, the judges actually put Boy Shakira through to the top twenty. From David Hasselhoff's facial expression, it appeared that this was once again the decision of Osbourne and Morgan and not him.

Many viewers posted their outrage on both Reality TV Magazine and on NBC's official America's Got Talent message board over the judges keeping both Boy Shakira and also Bollywood dancer Kashif over other contestants that viewers believed were more talented. Given the sheer volume of negative comments posted to Boy Shakira's video on the NBC website, it's hard to believe that Osbourne and Morgan were serious in putting him through to the top twenty.

Many viewers are expressing the opinion that this was a blatant ploy by the judges and the producers to create a Sanjaya-like phenomenon for America's Got Talent.

Sanjaya's run on American Idol helped to hold the media's attention in an American Idol season that was a letdown from the previous season. If not for Sanjaya, American Idol 6 would likely have taken a much larger dip in the ratings. Did America's Got Talent judges and producers purposefully conspire to put through some untalented contestants in hopes of making Sanjaya ratings magic?

If they did, then it seems to be going according to plan with VoteForTheWorst.com taking up the cause. One can only wonder when the hunger strikes will begin.

There was a scare on America's Got Talent last night.

Ivan the Urban Action Figure, who had dazzled the judges with his acrobatics during the auditions, took a terrible tumble that left him motionless on the floor.

As part of his grand entrance, attempted to use a small trampoline to propel himself over several chairs. However, the trampoline appeared to slide out from under him, and he wound up flipping head first into the chairs. When the man landed, he laid motionless on the floor. At first the crowd and judges seemed to think it was part of the act, but then part of the production staff rushed out to the floor and closed the curtains.

Host Jerry Springer explained: "This was not supposed to happen apparently. The question is whether or not he landed on his head. At first everyone thought ‘oh, that's part of the act.' It's not part of the act. He's lying still. I don't see any movement at this point. This is a horrible moment."

Ivan the Urban Action Figure was unconscious for a couple minutes, but he finally came around and appeared to be ok. As a precaution, emergency personnel fitted him with a neck brace and carried him away by ambulance to the hospital for tests.

After the performer was whisked away, Springer told the audience "We have thankfully good news. Ivan the Urban Action Figure took a fall, but now he's up and he seems ok. We're going to take him and make sure that everything is physically ok, but he's talking, he's lucid."

Did the Big Apple bring out big talent last night?

On the country's top-rated show - yes, you read that correctly - we were impressed by some contestants and grossed out by others. Sometimes, both at once.

To see what sort of acts made it through, and which were dissed and dismissed by the judges, read through our America's Got Talent episode guide now.

Two weeks ago, it was Sharon Osbourne.

Last night, it was David Hasselhoff.

What's with judges on America's Got Talent storming off simply because the rest of the panel doesn't agree? Granted, it's hard to argue with the Hoff's downcast opinion on Boy Shakira (pictured), but storming away from the cameras because Osbounce and Piers Morgan sent him through seemed a tad immature.

What else transpired on the country's top-rated reality show last night? Check out our episode guide now and read for yourself.