Trae Patton/NBC Singer Jessica Sanchez made a triumphant return to theAmerica's Got Talentstage Tuesday, with her performance of Alex Warren's "Ordinary," but it almost didn't happen. "Well, I am absolutely blown away," judgeSimon Cowellsaid afterward, "because a few seconds ago, before Jessica came out, I heard that she wasn't feeling too good. And I said, 'Look, honestly, genuinely, it's your choice whether you want to do this or not.'" The contestant, who said she was eight months into her term, wanted to show the voting public what she could do. Cowell and the other judges, at least, were glad she did. "Because you have such an amazing tone. Not only that, you have this amazing, I call it a glow, a glow about you," Cowell said. "People are gonna really like you. I really believe [they will] root for you, and I'm so happy, after all these years, on our 20th anniversary, you've come back. Thank you so much." Sanchez disclosed before her audition in the previous round that she was part of the very first season ofAGT, when she was 10, but she was eliminated in the semifinals. In a package on Tuesday, she noted that the moment had made her realize how much she wanted to sing and that, after falling out of love with music for a while, she was determined to do it again. She had wonSofia Vergara's Golden Buzzer with her take on Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things" in her audition last month. Vergara was just as enamored of her vocal Tuesday. "That was amazing!" Vergara said. "I know that you have felt that you've been struggling because of the belly and the breathing and your voice doesn't feel the same, but that was spectacular." She added, "America is loving you! And you are the best!" In a package before her song, Sanchez had said that the 2025 moment was made even more special because she wasn't alone. "I've packed multiple bags just in case I have my baby early," she said. "It may be a lot of moving parts, but it's even more special because I've got my baby girl with me." She joked that she was ready to show America "what we got" and gestured to her belly. Once Sanchez finished singing,Mel Balso gave her a big boost: "Can I just say to you? You have never sounded better! I swear to God. God is my witness. Brilliant!" Sign up forEntertainment Weekly's free daily newsletterto get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Howie Mandel, who was also a fan, made a dad joke about her pregnancy. "When you hit those big notes," he said, "I was worried that this production was going to turn into a reproduction." Online votingforAmerica's Got Talentis open until Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 7 a.m. ET. The results for which of the acts are moving forward in the competition will be revealed Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly
