America’s Got Talent: All Stars: Howie Mandel hits Golden Buzzer for Ukrainian light-up dance crew

Howie Mandel sent Ukrainian light-up dance crew Light Balance Kids straight to the finals on Monday’s season premiere of America’s Got Talent: All-Stars on NBC.

The 67-year-old judge was moved by the youngsters from war-torn Kyiv, Ukraine, and pressed his Golden Buzzer after the uplifting performance.

‘There is such an amazing message here,’ Howie said. ‘Where you come from, at this point, is arguably the darkest place in the world and you come across the globe to bring us light. And if I can do anything, anything, on behalf of America, and AGT All-Stars to bring you even more light than you brought us, I’d like to do that for you.’

Howie got up and pushed the buzzer and golden confetti fell down on them as the kids began to cry.

Before they performed, the finalists from season 14 shared that some of their parents couldn’t come to the taping because they were fighting back home for their country’s independence after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

They said they wanted to show the world through their dance performance that light always wins. Their outfits lit up as they danced on a darkened stage.

Howie walked up to the stage to congratulate them after pushing the buzzer.

‘You’re amazing,’ Howie said. ‘You are my favorite act ever.’

‘Light Balance kids you are going straight to the finale!’ show host Terry Crews, 54, screamed.

The youngsters said they were shocked.

‘It was your best performance you have ever done,’ Simon Cowell, 63, said. ‘Really by a mile. I cannot tell you how brilliant that was. You telling our story on top of that makes it even more poignant what I’m about to say, which is, if anything defines an all-star, it was that performance.’

The spin-off show featured 10 former AGT contestants from all over the world who returned to the stage for a chance to be crowned the AGT: All-Stars champion.

The Bello sisters, a three sister acrobatic group from Italy, came back to open the show after they couldn’t compete live in the AGT season 15 finale in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The three women balanced their bodies off each other and climbed one another to reach new heights as part of their athletic routine.

‘You girls have the kind of act that you don’t want to stop,’ judge Heidi Klum, 49, said.

Simon started to give his feedback, but then stopped when he saw his image projected on the stage.

‘God, I’m good looking,’ said Simon, who has appeared unrecognizable to some recently.

‘Ladies just take a minute and relax while Simon enjoys himself,’ Howie quipped.

‘I’ve got to be honest with you girls, that was about as close to perfection as I’ve ever seen,’ Simon said.

Child prodigy Aneeshwar Kunchala, seven, went next.

‘I was four when I started my career as a wildlife conservationist,’ Aneeshwar said. ‘It started when I saw a dead whale dying from plastic. My heart was broken.’

Aneeshwar then recited a poem as a video about the climate played behind him.

‘You are probably one of the most inspirational young men I have ever seen,’ Howie said.

Simon was glad to see Caly Bevier, 23, a singer and a cancer survivor, who was his Golden Buzzer pick from season 11. She said since she got voted off on AGT she had been working on honing her music. Caly performed her own song titled Head Held High. All the judges gave her a standing ovation when she finished.

‘I think you nailed it,’ Heidi said.

‘I wish I could have shown you this film when we first met, as to this is what’s going to happen to you in a few years time,’ Simon said. ‘You’re going to come back on an All-Stars, and you are going to be healthy and you’re going to be brilliant and you’re going to be a great songwriter, and all those things, because that just happened.’

Mentalist and comedian Lioz Shem Tov, from Tel Aviv, Israel, who already has his own show in Las Vegas, went next. He said that since appearing on AGT in 2008, he went to Australia’s AGT and then Britain’s AGT.

‘Why are you here?’ Simon said.

‘You asked me to come,’ Lioz joked.

He brought Heidi to the stage to help him with his act. He played little jokes on her, but in the end Simon hit his buzzer in disapproval.

Lioz put a blonde wig on top of Simon after he hit his buzzer.

‘I thought that was stupid,’ Simon said. ‘I think the first time you were good stupid, but this was bad stupid.’

Singer Jeanick Fournier, the winner of Canada’s Got Talent, was the next contestant. Jeanick, 50, from Quebec, performed Lady Gaga’s I’ll Never Love Again.

‘I think you really are incredible,’ Heidi said.

‘I’ve got to say, you make me proud that I’m from Canada,’ Howie said.

World beatbox champions Berywam from France said they returned to the show to be the world champions.

They said after losing on the show in 2019 that their act blew up. The four person beatboxing crew took the stage and performed all the instruments and words to the Billie Eilish song Bad Guy.

‘I love it,’ Howie said. ‘You are musicians. You are singers. You are rappers all in one.’

Aerialist Alan Silva from season 15 stunned the judges and the audience with his fearless act spinning high above the stage. He ended the act dropping upside down from the ceiling within inches of the judges. Alan broke down crying when he finished and Simon got out of his chair to comfort him.

‘Don’t cry,’ Simon said.

‘It’s just emotional,’ Alan said. ‘I’m not sad.’

‘That was extraordinary,’ Simon said.

‘Your act is beautiful,’ Heidi said. ‘There is so much grace but then there are these moments where you are like ”oh my gosh, is he going to fall?”’

Singer Jimmy Herrod performed the song Glimpse Of Us by Joji. He said being a contestant on AGT had changed his life.

All the judges gave him a standing ovation when he finished.

‘That’s how you do it,’ Simon said. ‘It was brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.’

‘Please love me,’ Jimmy said.

‘That’s written on my mirror,’ Simon said.

Ventriloquist and comedian Terry Fator, the winner of season two, was the final contestant of the season premiere. Simon told him he had inspired so many people since he came on the show. Terry said he started working on his act when he was only 10. He said he has since signed the biggest deal of five years for $100 million to put his act on in Vegas.

‘Talk about rags to riches,’ Terry said. ‘America’s Got Talent is actually the reason I had all my dreams come true.’

‘I’m actually quite starstruck,’ Simon said.

He had his puppet Winston, a turtle, sing The Prayer as Andrea Bocelli in Italian. Terry insisted that he didn’t know how to sing Italian. Winston said he dreamt of sharing the stage with Elton John. Terry then brought out an Elton John puppet, with his own tiny piano, to duet with him on the song Rocket Man with a Cold Heart riff.

The audience and judges gave Terry a standing ovation.

‘You are a legend,’ Heidi said. ‘You are the OG of ventriloquists. You are amazing.’

At the end of the show, Terry announced the Bello Sisters, Caly and Terry were the acts in the top three. He then announced after the superfans vote that the only act voted into the finals was the Bello Sisters.

‘You’ve just beaten the best of the best, congratulations,’ Simon said.

AGT:All-Stars will return next Monday on NBC.