As fans of America's Got Talent are well aware, the show has to do things differently due to the coronavirus pandemic. During the audition process, the show went without its usual studio audience out of an abundance of caution for those involved in the production. On Tuesday night's episode, they made one more change, as the judges got to watch some performers audition from the comfort of their homes. Naturally, since this presented a significant change of pace for AGT, fans had plenty to say about it.
Instead of sitting at the judges' panel as they typically do, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Simon Cowell judged the various contestants who auditioned from their homes with a little help from 21st-century technology. Just as they would usually, the judges got to see the contestants' talents, which ranged from magic tricks, horse-friendly opera, and an adorable puppy pal show, via video chat. While AGT has been forced to implement these changes, Cowell previously expressed that there has been a significant silver lining to the situation. "As bad as it is, you always have to find a solution to get back to work," he explained to USA Today via email. "I have sympathy for so many people in this situation, but if our show is an example, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It's different, but hopefully, it will still be as popular."
Fans indeed still tuned into the series to see the first-ever AGT at home edition. However, the reception to this new audition process wasn't entirely positive amongst viewers.