‘AGT’ Fans Slam Howie Mandel After Simon Cowell Is Forced to Apologize

Martin Holmes September 20, 2023, 8:13 am

Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell on AGT — NBC/YouTube

Things got a bit chaotic on Tuesday (September 19) night’s episode of America’s Got Talent as Howie Mandel caused more red X button drama, which led to Simon Cowell apologizing to one of the acts.

The incident happened while Nashville singing duo Trailer Flowers were on stage performing their original song, “Who You Are.” Midway through the act, Mandel leaned over and sneakily pressed Heidi Klum‘s red X button.

However, with the show being live, the cameras didn’t pick up the button push, so host Terry Crews had to come out and clarify what had happened. The producers then aired an alternate shot that showed Mandel hitting Klum’s buzzer.

“I would not press my buzzer in the semi-finals,” Mandel lied, despite everyone seeing the proof for themselves. Mandel has previously come under criticism for hitting the red X on Phil Wright & Parent Jam, the Sharpe Family Singers, and Ray Wold & Mom during this season’s live shows.

The judges then got into a squabble, with Klum asking Mandel, “What is going on with you, Howie? There is an invisible line right here [between us]. This is your side; this is my side.”

After dealing with Mandel, Klum turned her attention back to Trailer Flowers, admitting that it wasn’t her favorite performance of theirs and saying they sounded screechy at times.

Fellow judge Sofía Vergara wasn’t totally taken with the performance either, saying, “There was something happening with this song that it didn’t resonate to me. I didn’t know what was happening… the outfits, the song. It wasn’t my thing, and I love country music, by the way.”

When it was Cowell’s time to speak, he addressed the earlier controversy, taking aim at the producers for stopping proceedings to show Mandel’s sneaky button push.

“First of all, I don’t think the producers should have done what they just did because we don’t have a lot of time to talk and actually give you something constructive,” he said. “So I apologize.”

As for the performance itself, Cowell said he “didn’t love” the song and would have told them to come up with something better if they were still in the audition phase.

Despite the messiness, Trailer Flowers took things in their stride, telling Crews, “I appreciate the judges. I really hope that America heard the lyric of that song: ‘Pull your boots back up, baby, when it’s tough.’ We love you. We love country music. We need America’s vote to make it to the finale.”

Fans will find out whether Trailer Flowers made it through to the grand finale during Wednesday’s (September 20) live results show.

As far as Mandel goes, many AGT fans were wondering the same thing as Klum… what is going on with him?

“Howie has dome a couple of bizarre things on the show this season — wonder what’s happening with him,” commented one viewer.

See Flirty Sofía Vergara Embrace Being Single on 'AGT'

“Time for Howie to go. Not sure why they ever selected him in the first place,” said another, while one fan wrote, “Howie has turned into a jerk lately. Last season he was pretty bad but this season he’s taken it up a notch.”

Another fan suggested, “They should disable those buzzers during the finals and semifinals. Howie is a bit off anyway but so are the rest of them.”

“They need to kick HOWIE off the show, he is horrible at that show. He is not funny and never was! He is a hack,” said another.

Mandel did find some support, though, with one fan writing, “Well, Howie’s not wrong, they WERE the WORST act tonight.”

America’s Got Talent, Season 18, Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 8 pm ET/PT, NBC