‘America’s Got Talent’ Judge Howie Mandel Slams Jump Rope Team

Even though all competitors on America’s Got Talent: The Champions are experienced performers, that does not mean they automatically get glowing reviews from the judges. DDF Crew, a jump rope team that won Holland’s Got Talent, learned that the hard way during Monday night’s episode.

After their act, which featured a couple of visible mistakes, judge Howie Mandel slammed them, even suggesting they would not get out of the auditions phase of AGT.

“I’m just going to be totally honest. You know, I sit here as a judge of America’s Got Talent and on America’s Got Talent, that wouldn’t have ranked,” Mandel said as the audience booed. “I’m just saying that we’ve seen a lot better and I don’t know if it was because you were nervous, because there were a couple of mistakes, but it didn’t blow me away.”

As the audience continued to boo, judges Mel B and Heidi Klum sang their praises for the act. But Simon Cowell then had a muted response.

“You know what, I really enjoyed it. It was exciting,” Mel B said. “You’ve actually made that look really easy and I know how hard it is. I can’t stand like three seconds in the double-dutch thing.”

“I liked it because it was perfectly timed and there were a lot of tricks in there,” Klum said. “And I think what Howie doesn’t understand is you guys make it look so much easier than I think it really is.”

She then turned to Mandel, telling him, “You should try just a regular jump rope!”

“Context is, tonight, everything,” Cowell began. “We’re seeing winners of America’s Got Talent versus winners of Holland’s Got Talent and various other counties. I mean, this was really, really fun, but it has to be, I believe, more than that.”

“That’s just one man’s opinion,” one member of the group told host Terry Crews when asked about Mandel’s critique.

DDF Crew was not the only European winner to appear on The Champions‘ second episode. The dancing dog act Ashleigh and Sully, winners of Britain’s Got Talent, performed a GLOW-inspired act. Spain’s Got Talent winner Cristina Ramos performed a show-stopping version of “Bohemian Rhapsody.” America’s Got Talent winner Darci Lynn Farmer, a ventriloquist, also performed.

The first episode of AGT: The Champions saw singer Susan Boyle and comedian Preacher Lawson move on to the next round.

During Monday’s episode, the “Deadly Games” knife-throwing act received the Golden Button from Klum. Ramos moved on thanks to the superfan vote.

New episodes of AGT: The Champions airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Photo credit: NBC