On September 27, the final episode of America's Got Talent (AGT) season 18 aired. The judges, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, and Terry Crews, who themselves were unaware of the results, were shown expressing excitement alongside the fans.
When the voting results for season 18 were revealed, everyone was shocked as Adrian Stoica and Hurricane were crowned the winners, earning $1 million in prize money and the Season 18 trophy. Taking second place was Anna DeGuzman, while Murmuration finished third. Based on fan votes, Putri Ariani placed fourth, with The Ramadhani Brothers placing fifth.
The finale result was discussed by one of the judges, Cowell, after the show. He expressed his surprise at Adrian Stoica and Hurricane winning season 18 in an interview with People.
"You can't please everyone — there were people who were disappointed, people who were surprised, but it's a public vote, and their act last night was amazing. So a bit of a surprise, but I'm happy. I would've been happy with anyone winning from last night, if I'm being honest with you. The dog is so adorable. And I think that was pretty amazing. It was like a happy ending."
Additionally, he mentioned that his son, Eric Philip Cowell, was in the crowd watching the season 18 finale and how happy he was to see Adrian Stoica and Hurricane win.
A look at Heidi Klum's thoughts on America's Got Talent (AGT) season 18 finale
Heidi Klum was another judge who shared her reaction to the AGT season 18 finale results. She discussed her excitement for the duo's future as well as the uniqueness of Adrian Stoica and Hurricane's act. According to her:
"I'm super excited for them. [Stoica's] a really lovely man. Hurricane is super cute ... I loved that he did everything without treats. Because we've seen a lot of dog acts, and what they do is they always constantly feed little treats to the dog in order for them to do the next thing, or they yell at them to do different things.”
In addition, she mentioned the following:
“And it was just beautiful how Hurricane could just memorize all of the act without him prompting [her]. It was amazing — it was like an actor who really read the script and was able to do it all. It was very cute. I mean, how can it not be cute? It's a beautiful dog act."
In addition, Terry Crews, who hosted AGT season 18, said that what he expected from the finale was different from what occurred in the last episode of AGT season 18. Nevertheless, he commented that he wasn't surprised to learn that Adrian Stoica and Hurricane were crowned trophy owners in season 18.
During a recent interview with People magazine, the AGT host said:
"It's like, 'What?' But at the same time, I'm not surprised because America loves dogs. And Hurricane is one of the smartest, most amazing dogs since Lassie. Even Simon said there should be a TV show [about Hurricane]. A movie. There should be everything."
Among the performers in the final of AGT season 18 were Adrian Stoica and Hurricane, Anna DeGuzman, Murmuration, Ahren Belisle, Putri Ariani, The Ramadhani Brothers, Lavender Darcangelo, Chibi Unity, Mzansi Youth Choir, 82nd Airborne Division Chorus, and Avantgardey.
During this time, Adrian Stoica and Hurricane, The Ramadhani Brothers, Putri Ariani, Anna DeGuzman, and Murmuration were chosen as the top five acts.
In addition to this, fans can watch all the episodes of AGT season 18 on Hulu.