Latest news with #AmericaGotTalent
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Sofia Vergara goes topless in just a VERY tiny thong bikini on Ibiza trip as she lounges by the pool
SOFIA Vergara went topless in just a VERY tiny thong bikini on her trip to Ibiza. The former Modern Family star took to social media after a day of lounging by the pool. 6 6 6 Sofia, 52, flaunted her incredible figure as she soaked up the sun on her summer vacation in the European hotspot. The Griselda star was laying face down on top of a luxurious cushioned sunbed by the sea. Her enviable curves were on display in a pair of tiny white thong bikini bottoms in a behind-the-scenes video. She took off the accompanying top as she attempted to tan her already sun-kissed back. The America's Got talent judge also gave a cheeky wave to the camera as they filmed her from behind using the boomerang technique. A broad smile could be seen on her face as her hair was left in an natural state and she covered her eyes with stylish shades. Using her signature Latin finesse, Sofia captioned the short video: "Happy internacional bikini day from Ibiza." This was alongside a string of crying with laughter emojis as she poked fun at herself. This comes as it was revealed that a dirty joke about the actress and judge was cut from an America's Got Talent episode. The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed that Howie Mandel made a comment that made the audience gasp. AGT judge Howie Mandel's dirty joke about Sofia Vergara cut from show after audience gasped at 'gross' comment Other members reportedly exclaimed the words were 'gross' as they filmed auditions for season 20 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Events on the show took a wild turn when the Osaka Philharmonic group from Japan took the stage to show off their bizarre skillset. At one point during the audition, Simon Cowell, 65, took to the stage himself and removed his shirt to take part in the strange act. A source present at the taping said that Howie was heard making a NSFW quip about co-star Sofia when the American Idol alum was on the stage. America's Got Talent judges THOUSANDS of hopefuls have graced the America's Got Talent stage to showcase their abilities. Here is some more information about the A-list judges for season 20: Simon Cowell - On October 22, 2015, it was revealed Simon was replacing Howard Stern on the AGT judges panel. He became a judge during the program's 11th season and has since remained a series regular. Mel B - In March 2013, Mel B was announced as Sharon Osbourne's replacement on AGT. She remained on the show for five seasons before leaving in 2018. She made her grand return this year for season 20. Sofia Vergara - On February 27, 2020, NBC revealed Sofia was replacing Gabrielle Union for AGT season 15. Howie Mandel - Out of all the panelists, Howie Mandel is the longest-tenured judge on America's Got Talent. Howie joined the hit reality series during the show's 5th season, replacing David Hasselhoff. 'During the audition, Howie said that Sofia should get on the stage and 'be next.' He was apparently implying it'd be funny to have Sofia on stage topless like the contestants were. 'When he said that, those in close proximity who overheard the comment gasped, with some even saying it was 'gross,'' the insider claimed. However, they added that Howie was 'clearly joking,' and while Sofia's jaw briefly dropped when she heard the quip, she did not appear to take offense to it. 6 6 6
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Red Panda suffers scary fall during WNBA halftime show
The post Red Panda suffers scary fall during WNBA halftime show appeared first on ClutchPoints. A mishap occurred during Tuesday night's WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship clash between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx. One of the best halftime performers the sports world has ever seen suffered an injury in Minneapolis' Target Center. Acrobat Rong 'Krystal' Niu, better known by the name Red Panda, rides a 7-foot-tall unicycle while flipping and balancing bowls on her head. She fell early during her act and eventually left in an ambulance, according to The Athletic's Ben Pickman and Chantel Jennings. Advertisement Red Panda started to walk off the court while grabbing her back, before a wheelchair was brought out to assist her. Fans around the country are devastated to learn of this development. It is also quite shocking to see this one-of-a-kind talent fall, given the aura of invincibility she has built for herself after spending decades amazing NBA, WNBA and NCAA spectators, among others. Red Panda first emerged in the United States during the 1990s and then expanded her following with a memorable run on the long-running competition show, 'America's Got Talent,' back in 2013. Niu had to withdraw from the quarterfinals due to personal reasons, but she left her mark on the stage and went on to become an even more prevalent presence at halftime shows. An NBA insider nicely described the remarkable and enduring impact this veteran entertainer has had on the industry. Advertisement 'She never expected to still be performing,' The Stein Line's Jake Fischer posted on X. 'A broken arm during practice almost led to Red Panda's retirement in 2015. The fact she's still been out there, crushing it, well past 50 years old, has been amazing. Hope she gets well soon and is back on the court.' Red Panda recently performed in Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals, illustrating the type of appeal she continues to carry after all these years on tour. Prayers are with Niu. Her supporters, of which there are many, earnestly await some good news. Related: WNBA rumors: Houston still eyeing franchise despite expansion cities announcement Advertisement Related: Week 6 WNBA power rankings: Have the Aces finally found their identity?
The Guardian
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pure joy: the Australian pub choirmaster who flipped the script on America's Got Talent
Viewed from the outside, at least, far from united, the states of America appear irreconcilably divided. Which may explain why Astrid Jorgensen, a 35-year-old choir director from Brisbane who honed her skills at the pub, has just toured the States to sold out shows and seen her US reality TV appearance go viral. 'When I stand on the stage, I would like to prove to you that, in 90 minutes, we can agree on something,' Jorgensen says. 'And I think that that's a really important message anywhere but, for sure, I'm drawing the conclusion [that] in America … it feels like an antidote to whatever's happening in their own communities.' While it might take an hour and a half in her travelling Pub Choir shows – in which she coaches the audience to sing along to pop and rock classics in harmony – Jorgensen made her point in a matter of minutes when she flipped the script of America's Got Talent in her televised appearance last month. Instead of seeking their adulation for her own vocal prowess, the former high school music teacher got her audience to stand up and sing themselves. Yes, the cameras follow Jorgensen's dynamic conduction on stage. But, for the two-minute rendition of Toto's Africa, they mainly focus on the faces of the crowd. People of all ages, genders and colours, singing their little hearts out. Bemused, at first, before exuding the kind of pure and silly joy one only experiences belting out an 80s yacht rock anthem with a bunch of mates. 'If you bring some, like, cerebral, I dunno, indie thing, people are going to feel afraid and that they're going to do a bad job,' Jorgensen says of her song selection. 'I just want people to feel like they're winning – because it's just singing. It's not that big a deal. We've been overthinking it. Just give them a win and let them feel good.' The people must have done. Cajoled by judge Simon Cowell and by an adoring crowd, Jorgensen was voted through to the show's next round. Tens of millions of people have watched, shared and commented on the clip online. Jorgensen is Zooming in from her bedroom in Brisbane, trying to keep an angry chihuahua called Penny quiet. Penny is never angry with Jorgensen – only with those who seek to steal Jorgensen away from her dog. Penny is frequently angry. Jorgensen's not long back from a hectic tour of the US. Yesterday, the ABC's Australian Story team was filming hers. Pub Choir will tour Singapore, Tokyo, the UK and Ireland in August. Jorgensen is launching her memoir, Average At Best, in September. She will tour Australia and News Zealand in October and November. Her computer pings with Slack messages from her media team. Unsure how to mute the notifications, Jorgensen takes a moment to message her handlers and kindly asks them to shush. The quiet brings oxygen back into the conversation. Jorgensen takes a similar approach to her Pub Choir shows. 'I try to play into, and really appeal to, an analogue experience,' she says. 'I tell people to put their phones away. And that is really hard for a lot of people.' But choir, she says, is a unique act of communion in which the audience is transformed into artists. It is a sensation she experienced growing up Catholic, something that almost convinced Jorgensen to become a nun – until she realised that the 'beautiful, hopeful, optimistic, spiritual feeling' that its services gave her came not from the word of God, but from the music of the church. This is an experience Jorgensen wants for her audience, but she wants them to decide for themselves how they feel about it, with their own brain, ears and eyes – not through a screen. Even after the show she asks that they keep phones in pockets. 'And I think that's really freeing for people,' Jorgensen says. 'It's really a lovely invitation for people to just experience, just to feel anything, to feel something at the show with others and to look around, to look eyes up, look at the board, look at each other, hold someone's hand. 'I feel like it's such a nice, rare opportunity to agree with other people just in such a low-key way.' Jorgensen describes singing together as a 'beautiful fast track to community' – something that, ironically, she alone is not part of at her own shows, standing as she does on stage. So after the final show of her US tour, at a nightclub in Honolulu, Jorgensen invited everyone in the audience to come and say hello. 'People were relaying to me that this felt like the opposite of the way they'd been feeling for … years even. And that it felt important for them to remind that humanity and, like, connecting on a level outside of politics is possible,' she says. 'That's a special thing to be able to facilitate.'
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pure joy: the Australian pub choirmaster who flipped the script on America's Got Talent
Viewed from the outside, at least, far from united, the states of America appear irreconcilably divided. Which may explain why Astrid Jorgensen, a 35-year-old choir director from Brisbane who honed her skills at the pub, has just toured the States to sold out shows and seen her US reality TV appearance go viral. 'When I stand on the stage, I would like to prove to you that, in 90 minutes, we can agree on something,' Jorgensen says. 'And I think that that's a really important message anywhere but, for sure, I'm drawing the conclusion [that] in America … it feels like an antidote to whatever's happening in their own communities.' While it might take an hour and a half in her travelling Pub Choir shows – in which she coaches the audience to sing along to pop and rock classics in harmony – Jorgensen made her point in a matter of minutes when she flipped the script of America's Got Talent in her televised appearance last month. Instead of seeking their adulation for her own vocal prowess, the former high school music teacher got her audience to stand up and sing themselves. Yes, the cameras follow Jorgensen's dynamic conduction on stage. But, for the two-minute rendition of Toto's Africa, they mainly focus on the faces of the crowd. People of all ages, genders and colours, singing their little hearts out. Bemused, at first, before exuding the kind of pure and silly joy one only experiences belting out an 80s yacht rock anthem with a bunch of mates. 'If you bring some, like, cerebral, I dunno, indie thing, people are going to feel afraid and that they're going to do a bad job,' Jorgensen says of her song selection. 'I just want people to feel like they're winning – because it's just singing. It's not that big a deal. We've been overthinking it. Just give them a win and let them feel good.' The people must have done. Cajoled by judge Simon Cowell and by an adoring crowd, Jorgensen was voted through to the show's next round. Tens of millions of people have watched, shared and commented on the clip online. Jorgensen is Zooming in from her bedroom in Brisbane, trying to keep an angry chihuahua called Penny quiet. Penny is never angry with Jorgensen – only with those who seek to steal Jorgensen away from her dog. Penny is frequently angry. Jorgensen's not long back from a hectic tour of the US. Yesterday, the ABC's Australian Story team was filming hers. Pub Choir will tour Singapore, Tokyo, the UK and Ireland in August. Jorgensen is launching her memoir, Average At Best, in September. She will tour Australia and News Zealand in October and November. Her computer pings with Slack messages from her media team. Unsure how to mute the notifications, Jorgensen takes a moment to message her handlers and kindly asks them to shush. The quiet brings oxygen back into the conversation. Jorgensen takes a similar approach to her Pub Choir shows. 'I try to play into, and really appeal to, an analogue experience,' she says. 'I tell people to put their phones away. And that is really hard for a lot of people.' But choir, she says, is a unique act of communion in which the audience is transformed into artists. It is a sensation she experienced growing up Catholic, something that almost convinced Jorgensen to become a nun – until she realised that the 'beautiful, hopeful, optimistic, spiritual feeling' that its services gave her came not from the word of God, but from the music of the church. This is an experience Jorgensen wants for her audience, but she wants them to decide for themselves how they feel about it, with their own brain, ears and eyes – not through a screen. Even after the show she asks that they keep phones in pockets. 'And I think that's really freeing for people,' Jorgensen says. 'It's really a lovely invitation for people to just experience, just to feel anything, to feel something at the show with others and to look around, to look eyes up, look at the board, look at each other, hold someone's hand. 'I feel like it's such a nice, rare opportunity to agree with other people just in such a low-key way.' Jorgensen describes singing together as a 'beautiful fast track to community' – something that, ironically, she alone is not part of at her own shows, standing as she does on stage. So after the final show of her US tour, at a nightclub in Honolulu, Jorgensen invited everyone in the audience to come and say hello. 'People were relaying to me that this felt like the opposite of the way they'd been feeling for … years even. And that it felt important for them to remind that humanity and, like, connecting on a level outside of politics is possible,' she says. 'That's a special thing to be able to facilitate.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Red Panda? Meet the legendary halftime performer
Red Panda has become one of the best halftime show attractions in the world, bringing her awesome brand of acrobatics to NBA, WNBA and college basketball courts for years. She also made it pretty far on America's Got Talent, proving what she does is universally beloved. And now, with the performer getting injured -- wishing her a speedy and full recovery! -- we wanted to give Red Panda her well-deserved flowers, especially for those of you who don't know much about her. Advertisement So let's dive in and help you get to know the woman known as Red Panda, who is an absolute legend! Who is Red Panda? Her real name is Rong Niu. She's the daughter of two Chinese acrobats, and her act is simple but wonderful: she gets on a unicycle and catches bowls on her head. On one occasion, she's had her unicycle stolen, though the Golden State Warriors offered to buy her a new one. How did Red Panda get injured? She fell off her unicycle at the Fever and Lynx game, something that's happened to her before in rare instances. How did Red Panda get her start? From Sports Illustrated in 2019: Red Panda's act forged forward. After collecting video from spectators, she spotted filming her performances, Niu delivered the clips to a professional editor, who cut a seven-minute highlight reel of GuiZhang's star. She ordered 1,000 copies, then stuffed the VHS tape and business cards into envelopes, blasting agents and venues across the map. Only her phone hardly rang. Neither Circus Circus nor Cirque du Soleil called. Finally, after one year, a talent agent named Reynold Clark dialed Niu the day before Thanksgiving 1993. One of his acts had sustained an injury, and the Clippers needed an immediate replacement for halftime the following evening. Within hours she jetted to Los Angeles. From there, she gained fame at various basketball arenas for years. Has Red Panda gotten injured before? Yes. This isn't just an easy act. She's broken her arm before. How did Red Panda do on America's Got Talent? She made it to the semifinals in Season 8 back in 2013 eventually as a Wild Card after withdrawing from the show to take care of her father, who had cancer. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Who is Red Panda? Halftime performer's history and unicycle act
