Filipino-American Angelica Hale has made history in the reality singing competition “America’s Got Talent” on Monday (Tuesday in Manila) for earning two Golden Buzzer wins.
The 11-year-old singer, a kidney transplant survivor, previously finished second place in “AGT” in 2017 where she earned her first Golden Buzzer, which catapulted her right to the show’s final round.
The popular singing competition returned with 10 former winners and standout acts from different “AGT” editions from around the world. Among the contestants are opera singer Paul Potts, who claimed victory in the first season of “Britain’s Got Talent” back in 2007, Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who went viral after her performance in Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, and rock opera singer Cristina Ramos, who won “Spain’s Got Talent” in 2016.
During her performance, Hale sang a cover of Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song,” earning her a standing ovation from the audience and the show judges Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Mel B., and Simon Cowell.
“You are amongst champions. You show up and you lift the ceiling off this theater. That was your fight song and if I can do anything, I will do anything to help you win this fight,” Mandel said seconds before he pressed the golden buzzer for Hale.
Dumbfounded, Hale was in tears when she thanked the TV host, “I can’t believe this is actually happening to me. I wanted to thank you so much. This is a dream come true.”
In the 2017 edition of “AGT,” the show revealed a touching backstory to Hale’s childhood. Prior to her audition, her parents opened up to Tyra Banks (the show’s former host), how they never thought she would be on the “AGT” stage, as she needed a life-saving kidney transplant when she was only four years old.
In 2013, Angelica was on life support. It was only until discovering that her Filipina mother, Eva Bolando, was a match and the two went into surgery for a transplant.
Since her recovery, Angelica has been touring around the US through her participation in fundraisers to help young patients in children’s hospitals. She filmed her first movie, “American Reject,” over the Summer of 2018 in New Orleans. She also lent her voice to the titular character in the upcoming animated series “Maya Unstoppable.” Both films are expected to premiere late this year.
