Warning: spoilers are ahead for the Season 20 finale of America's Got Talent, available streaming next day with a Peacock subscription.
Another season of America's Got Talent has wrapped in the 2025 TV schedule, but this wasn't a normal season of the NBC show, and not just because of Mel B's return as a judge. Not many shows reach a milestone like 20 seasons, so it was no surprise that the finale started off with a grand birthday celebration that incorporated all the finalists before determining which would end the night with a victory as well as the promise of $1 million and a Las Vegas stage show.
I'm happier about the person who won than I thought I would be, but as host Terry Crews was announcing the results, I also found myself remembering a comment from Mel B the night before that might have prevented one performer from getting closer to the grand prize. But let's start with the positive!
Jessica Sanchez Wins America's Got Talent
Singer Jessica Sanchez ultimately accumulated enough votes to win Season 20, beating out improv rapper Chris Turner in second place and singer Jourdan Blue in third. I usually don't root for singers to win AGT (with Season 19's Richard Goodall as an exception) since there are specific music shows like The Voice and American Idol out there, but the stars really did align for Sanchez to win.
On top of performing live on stage while nine months pregnant, she also had been a semifinalist on America's Got Talent's very first season back in 2006. Not only is she an incredibly talented performer, but there's no beating her story in Season 20. So, congratulations to. Jessica Sanchez!
There weren't actually many surprises in the finale, as far as I'm concerned. Following all of the live AGT finale performances, these were the final rankings:
- Jessica Sanchez
- Chris Turner
- Jourdan Blue
- Leo High School Choir
- LightWire
- Team Recycled
- Micah Palace
- Steve Ray Ladson
- Sirca Marea
- Mama Duke
I'd hoped to see Sirca Marea do a bit better in the final tallies by virtue of not being a music act, and I was a little surprised to see that Leo High School Choir got more votes than LightWire, but the lineup pretty much tracks with what I expected. Still, looking at #7, I can't help but wonder if Micah Palace would have done better in the votes if not for Mel B's comment right after his performance.
What Mel B Said About Micah Palace
For his final performance ahead of the AGT voting, rapper Micah Palace brought "Spanglish" and "No Sabo" to the stage. I personally thought that his backup dancers took up some of the focus that should have been on his music, but Simon Cowell seemed to have no regrets that he'd hit his quarterfinals golden buzzer for Micah. When Mel B's turn for feedback came, however, she told him this:
Now, I really didn't understand exactly what you were saying, but the party vibe was definitely there. But I just want to give you a few words of advice. You have to be nice to everybody. The crew, the people that dress you, because if not, you're going to meet them on the way back down anyway.
Mel's comments seemed to come out of nowhere, since I hadn't caught any signs of Micah Palace being rude to people around him on camera, and her words might have been forgotten in the grand scheme of things if not for Simon Cowell's reaction. He told the performer:
I've just got to butt in here. I've seen you, Micah, backstage. And this is my own perspective. You've been really polite and sweet to everyone, so that was out of order. Seriously.
Obviously nobody viewing from home has the same experiences on AGT that Mel B and Simon Cowell do, but her comments followed by his reaction really made the feedback the most memorable part of his performance. Even Terry Crews' efforts to move along didn't really do much.
There were strong reactions on X, with some supporting Mel, some disagreeing with Mel, and all really giving me the impression that Micah Palace was getting the short end of the AGT stick if this was the last that voters would see of him. Take a look:
- @Call_Him_Arya: "What did Mel B mean when she said Micah Palace had 'be nice to everyone'?"
- @sean2637: "What is Mel B hinting at with Micah should be nice to everybody?"
- @HKoonts: "What was Mel B’s comment about?"
- @RBurns714: "Unpopular opinion: If Micah was being rude to staff and was acting like a diva, I Think Mel B has every right to call him out on it."
- @Truthologie: "Sorry, but that was so wretched of Mel B to do Micah Palace like that ON LIVE TV!"
It's impossible to say if Micah Palace would have placed higher in the Top 10 if not for Mel B's comments, and there was so much momentum from Jessica Sanchez, Chris Turner, and Jourdan Blue coming out of their final performances that I would have been surprised to see anybody else in the Top 3. Still, take a look and see for yourself:
Congratulations again to Jessica Sanchez on her standout performances, her big finale win, and the upcoming birth of her baby girl! This was the end of America's Got Talent's milestone season, but definitely not the end of AGT. Auditions are currently open for Season 21.
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