‘America’s Got Talent’: Simon Cowell Uses Golden Buzzer on Incredibly Inspiring Performer

Simon Cowell has been back in action on America’s Got Talent after being forced to miss out on the last few shows of the previous season. During the audition portion of the show, all of the judges — Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Heidi Klum — have the option to press their Golden Buzzer and send the chosen act straight through to the live shows. Cowell pressed his Golden Buzzer for singer Nightbirde, a young woman who is battling cancer, per TooFab. And the moment is just as emotional as you might have expected.

Nightbirde, whose real name is Jane, shared her story with the judges when she walked onto the stage. She explained that she’s 30 years old, from Ohio, and has a penchant for singing. Nightbirde said that she would be singing an original song titled “It’s Okay.” When Mandel asked what the song was about, she explained that it was based on the last year of her life. The 30-year-old said that she’s been battling cancer. Cowell then asked her how she’s doing today, and she replied that cancer is still in her lungs, spine, and liver. She also said that her diagnosis isn’t good, as she has a “two percent chance of survival.” Although, she added, “but two percent isn’t zero.”

The judges were blown away by Nightbirde’s voice and “authenticity.” The singer said, after her performance, “You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy.” Nightbirde’s words and her performance had Cowell a bit choked up as he shared his feedback. The former American Idol judge said that there have been some incredible singers that have already auditioned so far. As a result, he said that he could not give her a simple “yes.” Instead, he did something even better by hitting his Golden Buzzer.

Season 16 of America’s Got Talent premiered on June 1. The show features the returning judges’ panel of Cowell, Mandel, Klum, and Vergara. During Season 15 of the NBC series, they were forced to take special measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic in order to keep the talent and crew safe. While they are still taking precautions for Season 16, they have been able to get back to the show’s roots, particularly when it comes to the audience. As seen in the first two episodes of the season, AGT has been able to have a limited audience in place for the various auditions.