Every Act That Auditioned in America's Got Talent 2025 Episode 3 (RECAP)
From Golden Buzzers, to red X's, see what went down during the latest round of AGT auditions.
Things are heating up at America's Got Talent, where the third night of Auditions brought out some of the best, strangest, and most controversial Acts to date.
Things were also heating up, literally, as the 100-plus degree weather outside the studio made it rather toasty inside, causing Pepper the friendly humanoid robot to turn off and stop responding. Her programmer Kantwon, sadly, was forced to take her home without ever appearing in front of the Judges.
That behind-the-scenes moment, which could have gone unaired, is part of a slight retooling for the show's 20th season. As Host Terry Crews told NBC Insider, "We made some changes this year. We did a lot more just off-camera stuff. Tons of BTS. It's gonna be a lot less polished, but I think more real... It's kind of like to me when you go into a great restaurant and you can see the cooks, when you can see everything that goes into it and respect it more. Your meal tastes better."
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But for the other Acts, it was a day of high highs, low lows, and so much excitement. In case you missed any of the jaw-dropping moments, check out a full recap of the episode, here.
Julia & Dmytro Turkeev
Act: Aerial dance
Judge’s Vote: Yes
The real-life married couple were cheered on by their two daughters as, soaking wet, they flew through the air in breath-taking poses, giving new meaning to the term "trust fall." The two were barely holding on to one another by ankle straps and sheer force of grip as Judge Howie Mandel wondered, "How does he not slide off?" Later he enthused, "We see so many aerial acts, but when you add water to it…that was amazing."
All four Judges praised the couple for leaning into the danger, the spectacle, and the beauty.
Osaka Philharmonic
Act: Music/Novelty
Judge’s Vote: Yes
Fresh off a long flight from Japan, the young musicians of the Philharmonic very seriously told the Judges that if they did not make it past their Audition, they would be breaking up as a matter of honor. They then proceeded to play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" on harmonicas. That is, each member of the "band" hand a harmonica in his mouth at a specific note while the "conductor" took a baton dipped in dry ice and held it to their nipples to prompt them to blow at the appropriate interval. Stupid? Yes. But funny? Very.
The joke got an X from Judge Mel B., but she reversed course after Simon Cowell volunteered to have his own nipple iced, and she promised that as long as they kept up the Simon torture, they'd have a fan in her.
Charity Lockhart
Act: Singer
Judge’s Vote: Mel B.'s Golden Buzzer!
Charity really got the runaround! The mother of two told the heartfelt story of how, after getting divorced, she and her kids slept in their car, and it was only thanks to the money she won from a singing competition that they were able to move into an apartment. Clearly nervous, she asked for some water from Crews, then launched into "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" before being stopped by Cowell.
"I stopped you because I like you, but it just wasn’t working for me," he told her, asking if she had another song.
For her second try she chose "Golden Slumbers" by The Beatles, an apt choice, as it earned not just applause from the audience and Judges, but a Golden Buzzer from Mel B!
Spaceman Bob
Act: Rap
Judge's Vote: No
Claiming to be from a planet where every day is the weekend, Spaceman Bob performed an original song about not working, and while it definitely brought a smile to many faces, it wasn't really good enough for AGT.
Urban Theory
Act: Dance
Judge's Vote: Yes
The 24-person Italian dance troupe, which uses synchronized movements to create incredible pictures and illusions that have to be viewed from above, is no doubt talented. But this is the 20th season of AGT, and the Judges have seen a lot. Specifically, they've already seen Murmuration, another synchronized movement dance Act from Season 18.
The Judges were split down the middle: Mandel and Mel B. thought Urban Theory didn't quite measure up, while Sofía Vergara and Cowell felt that Urban Theory offered something new and exciting. After some begging from Cowell, Mandel changed his "no" to a "yes," and the group moved on.
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Benjamin Hightower
Act: Musician
Judge's Vote: Yes
Originally from Alabama, Hightower spent several years serving in the Air Force, but left the military to pursue his dreams of being a performing artist. He dedicated the song "Pink Pony Club" to his mom, who supported him from the audience.
Boston Dynamics
Act: Robots
Judge's Vote: Yes
Team representative Mary asked for dim lights before her "four-legged friends" could do their thing, which was to dance and lip-sync (kind of) to "Don't Stop My Now" by Queen. The friends being dog-like robots, one of which stopped working almost immediately.
"It was weirdly better that one of them died," noted Cowell, explaining that it showed how difficult making a working robot really is. Mandel was impressed that they'd seen something totally new and different. One of the machines even shook Terry Crews's hand!
Cyril
Act: Magic
Judge's Vote: Yes
Magician Cyril used shadows, cards, chopsticks, and incredible sleight-of-hand to pull off tricks that dazzled the audience, Judges and participant Howie... but it all took a bit too long. Both Cowell and Mel B. gave him the X, and even Vergara was on the verge of sending him home, saying she thought his Act was over before it ended. However, Mel B.'s daughter was in the audience and was cheering for Cyril, and Mel wanted to have a good night, so she gave him the yes he needed to make her daughter happy. Can't think of a better reason.
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Maceo Harrison
Act: Dance
Judge's Vote: Yes
He came in like a wrecking ball, literally. Lip-syncing and dancing to Miley Cyrus's hit sing, Harrison danced up the aisles of the theater, did a few hip-hop moves on stage, and then was done. The Judges were impressed, but shocked at how quick his performance was. "Do a little something there right now," Vergara prompted, and Harrison was happy to comply, pulling off a back handspring and a flip that got him to the next round of the competition.
Leo High School Choir
Act: Music
Judge's Vote: Yes
22 high school boys from Chicago's South Side stomp-clapped their way into America's hearts! Led by their choir director LaDonna Hill, and supported by their school principal who sat in the audience, the passionate group of amateur singers performed "Born For This" by The Score with such passion that Mel B. thought it was an original song. Proof that you don't need anything fancy to pull off a great performance.
