Monday night’s “America’s Got Talent: Extreme” saw fearless and foolhardy acts — even a 90-year-old stunt grandmother coming out of retirement to plow through burning walls on a motorbike with her grandson.
The second episode in the “AGT” spin-off series also saw the full return of the famously mean Simon Cowell amid dangerous acts of daring. He’d say he was just being brutally honest.
But Cowell was “bored” and dismissive of The Flying Royals trapeze act. The group of eight from Orlando claims to be the only crisscrossing trapeze artists in the world, showcasing near mid-air misses and acrobatic leaps. But Cowell seemed to be barely stifling a yawn.
He did, however, like the part when one member fumbled during a mid-air maneuver and went earth-bound, landing safely into a net to the audience’s relief.
“The best thing was one of you fell down, if I’m being honest,” Cowell said after the group reassembled following their performance. Cowell said the tight-knit group in matching outfits were “interchangeable,” adding that there was “not much personality.”
“I’m trying to find things we’ve never seen before,” Cowell said of the “AGT: Extreme” show’s mission. “You’re going to hate me, but I’m going to kick this off with a ‘no.’ “
The group was one judge’s “no” vote away from being voted off the show after Cowell’s dismissal. But the other judges stepped in. WWE star Nikki Bella raved saying “the athletic ability you all have, is amazing…even with one drop, it was a great show” while giving a “yes” vote. Stunt performer judge Travis Pastrana applauded the group for “taking risks” and also voted them through.
The Flying Royals are not in the finals, but they are still alive. They vowed to impress all, even avowing trapeze-skeptic Cowell: “We do have more up our sleeve, you will not be disappointed.”
Even with his hard words, Cowell does have his devoted fans. This includes Lillian, a 90-year-old stunt performer who came out of retirement to perform a dirt bike stunt through flames with her 24-year-old grandson Hunter. (USAToday)