America’s Got Talent 2018 enters the Judges’ Cuts, which is the second round of auditions. Twenty acts per episode of the Judges’ Cuts go before the judges once again, but this time, the judges are joined by a celebrity guest. Every one of these episodes features a new celebrity guest, who each have the opportunity to award one act a golden buzzer win, pushing that act forward to the live shows. Read on below to get to know each of the four celebrity guests joining in on the fun for season 13. Olivia Munn Olivia Munn was actually the first guest judge reported as joining the show this season. Munn is an actress who is also known for her high-profile relationship with NFL player Aaron Rodgers, but the two are no longer together. In recent months, Munn was in the news for speaking out against Hollywood heavyweight Brett Ratner, accusing him of sexual harassment, according to Page Six. Munn originally spoke out against Ratner in the fall of 2017. In an interview with Rogue, Munn went on to talk about how it’s important to stop working with some of the wrong-doers in Hollywood, explaining that, “Those who are in power, the movie heads, the executives — why are you working with these people? I’m not saying that people can’t come back from their mistakes, but why is it that when certain people mess up, there’s a formula for redemption? They say they’re sorry, hide away for a little bit, come back, work with the very people they hurt, then resume their position in power, when the rest of us have to fall to the back of the line and work our way back up.” There were a total of six actresses who made allegations against Ratner. Ken Jeong Ken Jeong appeared on the first episode of the Judges’ Cuts as the guest judge. Jeong started out as a doctor, but he went on to become a famous comedian and actor, breaking out with his memorable role in The Hangover. Jeong is set to appear in the upcoming film Crazy Rich Asians. According to Hollywood.com, Jeong quit medicine the day after his first movie wrapped. As a doctor, Jeong’s medical skills have come in quite handy in his life. He previously helped his wife get through breast cancer and, in May 2018, he helped save a woman in the crowd, who was having a seizure at one of his shows, according to We Are Resonate. Jeong was performing at the Stand Up Live Comedy Club and in the middle of his set, a woman in the third row had a seizure. He jumped off stage to help her until a medical team arrived. Martina McBride Martina McBride is an American country singer, known for songs including “Concrete Angel”, “Independence Day” and “In My Daughter’s Eyes”. When reflecting on her writing her 1994 hit “Independence Day”, McBride told The Boot, “When I think back on the song, I realize that I used this thing that I often use in songs, which is what I think of as the “omniscient child”: That’s where the child is the character who’s telling the story, because children see everything and just tell you what happened, very simply. They’re like little reporters, children are. So it made sense for me to tell the story from the perspective of a child, because she could just say what happened and let you, the listener, figure out how you feel about it.” McBride and her husband, John, own the recording complex Blackbird Studios, where artists including Ed Sheeran, the White Stripes and Taylor Swift record their music. Chris Hardwick Chris Hardwick first became known as the host of Singled Out on MTV. He went on to become a household name as an actor, host, comedian and podcaster. Recently, Hardwick was stripped of some of his jobs and hosting gigs, after allegations of sexual misconduct were made by his ex-girlfriend, Chloe Dykstra. Dykstra wrote an essay, in which she alleged that she had suffered through emotional and sexual abuse by an ex-boyfriend. Certain details seemed to finger Hardwick as the alleged abuser. Several ex-girlfriends, along with Hardwick’s wife have come out to say that he has never abused them. In addition, Hardwick has denied the allegations, maintaining that, “Our three year relationship was not perfect—we were ultimately not a good match and argued—even shouted at each other—but I loved her, and did my best to uplift and support her as a partner and companion in any way and at no time did I sexually assault her.” Despire his denial of the claims, Hardwick has lost out on jobs, including association with the company he founded, Nerdist. In response to the allegations, Nerdist removed all references to Hardwick off its website, releasing this statement, “That type of behavior is contrary to everything we stand for and believe in […] The company has removed all reference to Mr. Hardwick even as the original Founder of Nerdist pending further investigation.” Yvette Nicole Brown has also taken over Hardwick’s hosting duties on Talking Dead, amid the allegations, according to The Verge. In addition, the AMC network pulled Hardwick’s talk show Talking with Chris Hardwick. AGT‘s Judges’ Cuts most likely were taped prior to the allegations coming out.<doc-sep>After weeks of watching good, bad and weird performances, the America’s Got Talent’s judges begin to whittle down their initial picks tonight. “Whatever the act is, they have to be able to engage the widest audience possible,” says Howie Mandel, who will be helping trim the fat alongside Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, and Mel B. We take solace in knowing that these three showstoppers each earned coveted Golden Buzzers, ensuring their spots on the live shows beginning August 14. Courtney Hadwin The 13-year-old vocalist’s June 12 audition — a soulful version of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle” — immediately went viral, and for good reason. “Courtney checked every box: surprise, talent, excitement,” Mandel says. “I think she is going to be this year’s winner.” Zurcaroh “I feel like the motto this season is ‘go big or go home,'” Klum says. Well, it doesn’t get much bigger than a 48-member dance troupe. On May 29, the Austrian aerialists performed a gravity-defying act that left host Tyra Banks gasping for air: “I’m, like, freaking out right now,” she gushed. Michael Ketterer Now that’s talent: The father of six foster children managed to warm the heart of notoriously tough judge Cowell! After Ketterer’s emotional cover of the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” June 5, Cowell admitted, “Something about your voice…is special.” America’s Got Talent, Tuesdays, 8/7c, NBC<doc-sep>Tonight begins night one of the judges’ cuts on season 13 of America’s Got Talent. Comedian Ken Jeong came aboard to participate as a celebrity guest judge, along judges Mel B, Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel. Get the live recap of the winners on tonight’s episode of the show to see the spoiler on who made it through the first round of judges’ cuts. Read on below as we continue to update the post throughout tonight’s show. Junior New System was the first act to perform. These male dancers wear six-inch heels for their performances. The group hails from the Philippines, where they say life is very hard, as many of them live in poverty. They are one of Mel B’s favorite acts and tonight, they started out their performance in black and white sneakers, performing to “We Will Rock You”. With tumbling, flips and formations, the group continued to dance along to a mash-up of several songs. Gradually, the performers changed into their gold, sparkly. stiletto short boots. Junior New System got a standing ovation from the judges. VideoVideo related to ‘america’s got talent’ 2018 live results: who made it through tonight? 2018-07-17T19:44:05-04:00 The duo Harold and Regan, who dance and do acrobatics together, came up again to perform. Their performance was briefly shown. Another pair called Us the Duo, two married singers, were criticized a little by judge Howie Mandel during their first audition. Tonight, they returned to perform and they had some big news. They’re expecting a baby. Again, Mandel criticized the duo, but the other judges were not on the same page as he was. Magician Kevin Blake then used Mel B for a trick, having her ring float away with a stack of balloons, only to return it to her later. The judges enjoyed his act and felt it was even better than his first audition. Next up was the juggler Mochi and he said he practices diabolo six hours a day. He said that his family doesn’t support his passion, but he enjoys it so much. Mochi’s juggling act is met with digital stimulation and music. It’s quite impressive. The judges enjoyed the act, as well as Mochi’s personality. Lily Wilker then did her animal impressions. Oscar the singing dog and piano-playing Pam took the stage once again, but the dog was buzzed by Mel B. Judge Simon Cowell was appalled by Mel B’s reaction and said he would fight for them to be in the final. Lily Wilker: Amazing 11-Year-Old Impersonates Jungle Animals – America's Got Talent 2018One might think an entire jungle of animals is on the AGT stage, but in reality, it's just a young animal impressionist! » Get The America's Got Talent App: bit.ly/AGTAppDownload » Subscribe for More: bit.ly/AGTSub » Stream Anytime: bit.ly/AGTFullEpisodes AMERICA'S GOT TALENT ON SOCIAL Like AGT: facebook.com/agt Follow AGT: twitter.com/agt AGT Tumblr: nbcagt.tumblr.com/ AGT Instagram:… 2018-07-18T00:36:25.000Z Opera-singing Daniel Emmet was next. During his first audition, Cowell asked him to sing a second song and assigned him another song. Cowell’s song choice was one he was unfamiliar with and it was in another language. Emmet killed it. Next was the choir Voices of Hope. For years, the choir’s director, Sarah, was rejected as a solo singer and then she was presented with the opportunity to work with a children’s choir. Now it looks like she’s found her calling. Their first audition received mixed reviews and tonight, they picked the song “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana. For their first performance, they sang “This Is Me” from The Greatest Showman. The ages of the singers start at a young 5 years old and tonight’s performance brought tears from some of the little singers, along with judge Mel B. The group received rave reviews from the judges and Ken Jeong gave the group his golden buzzer reward, sending them all straight to the live shows. VideoVideo related to ‘america’s got talent’ 2018 live results: who made it through tonight? 2018-07-17T19:44:05-04:00 Magician and daredevil Aaron Crow was up next and he used Jeong and Heidi Klum as part of his act. Jeong held an apple steady on Klum’s head as Crow spun around on a platform and shot through the apple with a bow and arrow, from a distance. It was exhilarating, terrifying and death-defying. Jeong was reluctant to participate, but he did, and it was an incredible performance. The judges gushed over the act, though Simon Cowell made it clear he would not be part of any of Crow’s future performances. Comedienne Carmen Lynch was the next act and she joked that she wants Jeong’s life. He applauded her for leaving her job in finance to pursue comedy, just as he left his career as a doctor. She then joked about therapy and personal grooming. Jeong enjoyed Lynch’s dry wit. Singer Christina Wells then took the stage to perform and talked about how she’s been rejected in the past because of her weight. For her performance, she sang “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman. Wells had some pitchy moments. The unexpected kid rapper, who refers to himself as “Patches”, performed an original piece tonight. Jeong was loving the rap song, which seemed to be named after “Patches”. The judges praised the young rapper for his lyrics and for his energy. Andrew Johnston was next up to sing and his performance was only briefly shown. Cowell felt that Johnston was playing it too safe with his singing. Celina and Filiberto were the senior dirty dancers, who returned to the stage to again shock the judges. Ken Jeong and Howie Mandel couldn’t help but to laugh delightfully at the act. Jeong said that, as a former doctor, he was nervous for the old couple, but he felt they were so lovable and totally entertaining. Mel B, who wasn’t a fan, said she really liked the performance this time. Celina and Filiberto: Elderly Couple Dances To "Turn Down For What" – America's Got Talent 2018WOW! The married dancing duo from Cuba add some back-up dancers to their risque style dancing. » Get The America's Got Talent App: bit.ly/AGTAppDownload » Subscribe for More: bit.ly/AGTSub » Stream Anytime: bit.ly/AGTFullEpisodes AMERICA'S GOT TALENT ON SOCIAL Like AGT: facebook.com/agt Follow AGT: twitter.com/agt AGT Tumblr: nbcagt.tumblr.com/ AGT Instagram: instagram.com/agt In season 13, NBC's America's… 2018-07-18T01:34:53.000Z Jack Tenney’s mousetrap trampoline act was buzzed by the judges and they cringed at his tricks. Next up was the trapeze act Duo Transcend. Fighting near blindness, with their son in the audience, the two performed a dangerous routine. For their performance, the two performed over flames, increasing the danger factor. Then, towards the end of the routine, a blindfold was put into the mix, and Mary, who is part of the act, appeared to fall to the floor in a startling move. But, fortunately, Mary was okay. Mary wanted to do the trick again, but the judges insisted it wasn’t necessary, saying it was clear they had incredible talent. So, aside from the children’s choir, which other 6 acts made it through? And the results are … Junior New System, Us the Duo, Mochi, Aaron Crow, Duo Transcend and Christina Wells.<doc-sep>
Tonight begins the first round of the judges’ cuts on America’s Got Talent 2018, with comedian Ken Jeong diving in as the first celebrity guest judge of season 13. Jeong joins Heidi Klum, Mel B, Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel on the judges’ panel to see 20 of the winning acts in the second round of auditions. But, only one of the 20 will get a golden buzzer reward from Jeong, sending them through to the live shows. So, who are the contestants that are performing tonight? According to Gold Derby, the 20 contestants appearing on episode 1 of the judges’ cuts include daredevil magician Aaron Crow, singer Andrew Johnston, stand-up comedienne Carmen Lynch, senior dancers Celina and Filiberto, singer Christina Wells, Opera singer Daniel Emmet, aerialists Duo Transcend, dancers Harold & Regan, trampolinist Jack Tenney, dance group Junior New System, magician Kevin Blake, animal impressionist Lilly Wilker, singer Macey Mac, juggler Mochi, singing dog and pianist duo Oscar and Pam, kid rapper Patches, quick-change artists Sixto and Lucia, aerialist Trinh Tra My, band Us the Duo, and the choir Voices of Hope. If you remember Aaron Crow, he was the magician who nearly killed judge Howie Mandel, blindly slicing through a pineapple atop Mandel’s head, with a sword. During the judges’ cuts, Crow shoots an apple off of judge Heidi Klum’s head, with the help of guest judge Jeong. See the death-defying video of tonight’s act below. VideoVideo related to ‘america’s got talent’ 2018 contestants tonight: who is performing on agt? 2018-07-17T15:51:07-04:00 Another act to watch tonight, who most likely will not make it through to the live shows, is Celina and Filiberto. The two share a great love for each other, but their dirty dance moves are too much for some viewers. These two senior citizens win in life, even if they aren’t winners on AGT. Over the years, judge Simon Cowell said that if the show could find a dog that sings, that’s all he would ever want to see. Well, when Pam brings on dog Oscar, Cowell’s prayers have been answered. As Pam plays the piano, Oscar howls along on-key. Another animal-related act is the young Lilly Wilker, who does animal impressions. For her first audition on the show, she did impressions of a dolphin, horses, roosters, and other farm animals. But, the cutest part of Wilker’s act is her sweet and genuine giggle, in between the noises she makes. When singer Daniel Emmet appeared for the first round of auditions, he had a good voice, but judge Simon Cowell gave him a major challenge. Emmet had about an hour to learn a song assigned to him by Cowell and the song was in another language. Opera singer Emmet shocked and pleased Cowell, along with the rest of the viewers, not only with his voice, but his ability to come through and adapt so well under pressure. VideoVideo related to ‘america’s got talent’ 2018 contestants tonight: who is performing on agt? 2018-07-17T15:51:07-04:00 Clearly, there is a huge variety in the acts, when it comes to the performers. Howie Mandel talked about the wide range of contestants to Deadline, saying, “America’s Got Talent is the last bastion—and the only bastion—of real variety television. Television was created as another way of projecting vaudeville. All those vaudeville shows, that’s where everybody went before there was TV; in between movies, people went to theaters to see the juggler, and the magician, and the singer. Then, there became shows in America like Ed Sullivan, where everybody would gather around on Sunday night. That’s what made Elvis, Elvis. That’s what made The Beatles, The Beatles. And that is what’s happening with America’s Got Talent.”