Forest of Haunts' "repulsive but brilliant" America's Got Talent act makes it to the next round

America's Got Talent season 19 aired a brand new episode on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. Several unique and talented performers took to the stage, including a pair of spooky magicians, Forest of Haunts, who played a game with Simon Cowell and Sofia Vergara.

As the performance progressed, the audience and the judges had a mixed reaction to the spooky magicians, especially when they popped a balloon filled with maggots on the judges' table. The audience booed them, and Simon told them they couldn't do that. However, at the end of the act, Simon praised them and said:

"That was repulsive but brilliant. Seriously."

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All about Forest of Haunts' America's Got Talent season 19 audition

Unlike most acts, the duo didn't start their performance on stage. Instead, the female contestant spooked the judges by suddenly rising from the floor before the judges' table. The jump scare surprised Sofia, who screamed, and the audience gasped.

"Oh, this is freaking me out right now," Terry Crews said from backstage.

The contestant addressed the panel of judges as her "new friends" in a shrill voice. She said she wanted to play a game with them and picked Simon and Sofia to participate.

Suddenly, another person emerged behind the panel, scaring Sofia and Simon. The Modern Family alum said she didn't want to participate in the game, but the female contestant told her to stand up. As the two America's Got Talent season 19 judges made their way to the stage, Terry said:

"I hate this creepy stuff."

The contestant made Simon stand on one side of the stage while Sofia sat in a chair with a blindfold. A table with four balloons was placed between them.

"These are my balloons, from the Forest of Haunts, your choice, her head's faith," the AGT contestant explained.

Simon had to pick two balloons, and he chose 1 and 2. The contestants handed him the balloons and popped the other two over Sofia's head. As Sofia questioned what she was doing, Heidi Klum wondered if the balloon contained blood. Both balloons contained confetti, and the audience cheered.

"You're safe, for now, but your luck is surely running out, Simon, give him one," the contestant explained.

The judge handed the America's Got Talent season 19 participant balloon number 1, which also contained confetti. The contestant told the judges to return to their table, and the pair explained that Simon saved Sofia's head. They showed the audience the remaining balloon, and one of them walked to the judge's table.

"This is the balloon he didn't choose, but dear judges, the Forest of Haunts always has the last laugh. Now you shall all reap what Simon has sawn," she said.

The balloon contained maggots, which prompted Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara to press her buzzer, indicating they no longer wanted the contestants to continue. America's Got Talent judge Simon waved his hands at the contestants, telling them they couldn't do that.

The audience shrieked and booed the contestants as Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel got up from their seats. Howie told Sofia the maggots could have been in her hair, and Terry Crews called it "nasty."

Howie asked Simon if he knew about the maggots, and when the latter said "No," the judge noted that he could have randomly picked the balloons filled with maggots.

"I would have killed everyone," Sofia said.

Howie compared the act to a scene of Griselda, a Netflix show starring Sofia Vergara. The performance earned them three "Yes" from Howie, Simon, and Sofia, while Heidi Klum still wasn't sold.

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America's Got Talent season 19 airs episodes every Tuesday at 8 pm ET on NBC.