Howie Mandel predicts singing janitor Richard Goodall will win ‘America’s Got Talent’: ‘You just sang yourself one million dollars’ [WATCH]
Singing janitor Richard Goodall is officially Howie Mandel‘s pick to win “America’s Got Talent.”
The Canadian judge made that prediction following Richard’s performance in the September 17 episode of “AGT.” The middle school custodian belted out “Faithfully” on the big stage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and earned a wild standing ovation from the judges and the live studio audience. “I think you just sang yourself one million dollars,” Howie declared as Richard broke down in tears. Watch the video above.
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As for the other judges, Heidi Klum told Richard, “I have been faithfully your biggest fan since the very, very first day we met, all the way through this competition … I hope that everyone is gonna vote for you. I want you to win this so bad!” And Simon Cowell noted, “From the minute you came on this show, you’ve never crumbled. You’ve risen. We all need a hero right now, and you are our hero.”
Richard first appeared on “America’s Got Talent” during the Season 19 premiere. That’s where the 55-year-old school employee sang “Don’t Stop Believing” and earned Heidi Golden Buzzer. He revealed at the time that he’s “not a fancy person” and just wanted to “try and make people happy,” and he’s done just that throughout his “AGT” journey.
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’ winners list: All seasons, plus ‘Champions’ and ‘Extreme’
He later performed “How Am I Supposed To Live Without You” in the Quarterfinals and “Eye of the Tiger” in the Semifinals, easily sailing through each round thanks to America’s votes. This week in the Finals, Richard battled against the other nine finalists: air-dance group AIRFOOTWORKS, dance crew Brent Street, singer Dee Dee Simon, acrobatic group Hakuna Matata Acrobats, comedian Learnmore Jonasi, dog act Roni Sagi & Rhythm, aerial duo Sebastián & Sonia, drone group Sky Elements and quick change artist Solange Kardinaly. So who will win it all? See Gold Derby’s predictions.
The grand finale takes place on Tuesday, September 24 on NBC. In addition to the winner being named, the following celebrities will also make appearances: Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles & the Gold Over America Tour, singer and “The Voice” coach Michael Bublé, guitarist Neal Schon alongside members of Journey, DJ and producer Steve Aoki, stand-up comedian Gabriel Iglesias, the cast of “Magic Mike Live Las Vegas,” singer and actress Andra Day, and former “AGT” act Detroit Youth Choir.
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