Who is Chen Lei? Acrobat's hand-balancing act on AGT season 18 leaves internet divided

Chen Lei delivers an impressive act on AGT season 18
Chen Lei delivers an impressive act on AGT season 18 (Image via artistchenlei/Instagram)

Popular reality competition series America's Got Talent (AGT) season 18 aired a brand new episode on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, at 8 pm ET on NBC. It documented a new set of contestants and acts participating in the fifth round of the auditions of the competition. They put their best foot forward and delivered a variety of talent in hopes of impressing the judges and moving forward.

On this week's episode of AGT, acrobat Chen Lei impressed the judges and the audience with his hand-balancing act as part of the audition round. He delivered tremendous core strength and left the viewers in awe. Fans at home were left with mixed opinions. While some loved the act, others weren't too impressed.

The hit NBC series has been extremely popular among the audience and has gone on to become one of the most legendary competitions on television. Many former contestants who have made their debut on the stage have become really successful artists with a massive global fan base.

Season 18 of the competition saw the contestants perform in front of the legendary judging panel - Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel.


Acrobat Chen Lei wows viewers with his hand-balancing act on AGT

Tonight's episode of AGT saw host Terry Crews welcome a new set of contestants to the fifth auditions rounds. Throughout the evening, viewers witnessed a lot of talent on stage and while they were impressed with some, they openly criticized acts that hit below the mark.

The official synopsis of the episode, titled Auditions 5, reads:

"The auditions continue as a variety of acts featuring contestants of all ages audition for the chance to win the $1 million prize; the golden buzzer allows a lucky act the chance to go directly to the live shows to compete for America's vote."

The first half of the AGT episode saw Chen Lei, a 25-year-old acrobat from China introduce himself in front of the judges. He was passionate about acrobatics since he was a child and practiced the art to master it. The contestant has performed at a variety of shows, including the Cirque du Soleil.

In 2019, the contestant appeared on China's Got Talent but failed to earn the coveted title. He now was seeking his chances to win the AGT title and his own show in Las Vegas alongside the grand cash prize of $1 million.

For his performance, Chen Lei delivered a mesmerizing hand-balancing act, leaving the judges and the live audience jaw-dropped. He balanced his entire body, on one hand, a few times, did an entire flip using only his hands, and ended his performance with a split that wowed the viewers.

The AGT judges were at the edge of their chairs throughout the performance and complimented the artist. He eventually received everyone's approval and advanced to the next round of the competition.


Fans in awe of Chen Lei's performance on AGT season 18

Fans took to social media to comment on Chen Lei's performance. While some termed him one of the best acrobats and loved his audition, others weren't quite impressed by it. Check out what they have to say.

A few fans, however, didn't like the audition and said that the act wasn't interesting or impressive enough.


Season 18 of AGT has aired several incredible auditions in the past few weeks. As the installment progresses, more acts will take to the stage to deliver their talent in hopes of making it far in the competition. Viewers will have to wait and see which act wins the coveted title and the grand cash prize of $1 million.

Don't forget to tune in to next week's episode on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, at 8 pm ET on NBC.

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Edited by Varsha Narayanan
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