‘AGT’ Brings Back Fan-Favorite Act After COVID-19 Recovery

The semi-finals portion of America’s Got Talent is officially underway. On Tuesday night, various acts competed for the chance to make it through to the finals. One of the acts that competed, singer Thomas Day, did not participate in the quarterfinals round of the competition. But, he was one of the “wildcard” acts that were chosen by the judges to show off their talent in the semi-finals. As he explained in the show, Day was previously unable to participate in the quarterfinals after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Day was originally supposed to perform on the episode that aired on Aug. 25. However, he later withdrew from the competition. On Tuesday night’s show, Day and his mother explained that they were both diagnosed with COVID-19 when they made their way to Hollywood to compete in the quarterfinals. Day’s mother was the first to test positive, and the singer received his own positive test results days later. Ultimately, after making a recovery, Day was finally able to show America his singing chops, performing a rendition of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over.” His performance prompted a standing ovation from judges Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum.

Day initially told fans that he had to drop out of the competition because of his commitments to football. According to Gold Derby, he told a fan via Cameo, “So what happened was, I withdrew because I couldn’t make it because of football. I am still pursuing music and in college I’m gonna be pursuing music. But that’s the truth. I wish there was something more to it … It makes me so sad that I can’t perform, it really does.” Since he previously said that he was dropping out of the competition due to his football commitments, AGT fans were confused as to why he was brought back for the semi-finals. Of course, Day set the record straight himself on the episode, explaining that he was unable to compete because he tested positive for COVID-19.

Season 15 of AGT has had to navigate a series of challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. Not only has the health crisis affectied the various acts within the competition, but the production itself has implemented major changes to keep the safety of the talent and crew in mind. For example, unlike in previous years, there has been no in-person audience to root on the performers. Instead, the show has implemented a virtual audience so that fans can still be a part of all the action from the comfort of their own homes.