On New Years Day the new season of America’s Got Talent kicked off, featuring a brand new twist to the show – with each judge drafting their dream team of fan-favorite former contestants. But at the end of the season, only one act and judge will come out on top. This will be the first time in the “Got Talent” franchise that the judges panel will be competing with each other to win it all.
In late 2023 NBC allowed the American public to vote on a list of 60 former acts from the international Got Talent shows, with any act in the Top 40 being selected for the judge draft pick. From there each of the four judges – Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Simon Cowell – took turns selecting their team of 10 acts to mentor throughout the competition. This also marks the first time in AGT history that the public was given the power to essentially determine the season’s cast from the beginning.
During the draft Sheldon Riley was hand picked by long-time AGT judge and former Spice Girl Mel B. She said that she chose him because she feels “people will really identify with his struggles and what he’s been through.” Sheldon’s motivation for returning was not only to redeem his run on 2020 season of AGT All-Stars, but also showcase the amount of growth he’s had since the show.
For his premiere performance on the show, Sheldon picked a song extremely well-known song, Loreen’s second Eurovision winning song “Tattoo”. The video’s thumbnail showcases that he put the Sheldon twist on the popular song, all the way down to the feathered long fingernails. But make sure you watch through to the very end to see what had the judges table and the audience on their feet. He has now qualified for the semi-final live shows which will begin in three weeks time.
On top of competing on AGT before, Sheldon has competed in a number of other TV competitions including X Factor Australia, two seasons of The Voice: Australia, and The Masked Singer Australia. He achieved his longtime dream in 2022 when he won the Australia selection for Eurovision and represented his country in Turin, finishing in 15th place during the final.
What did #YOU think of Sheldon’s appearance on AGT: Fantasy League? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our Forum, or on Discord!
