Nightbirde may have been forced out of the race — but she still won the race.
Season 16 of "America's Got Talent" announced the results of the first live show on Wednesday, with the harmony trio 1aChord, comedians Gina Brillon and Kabir Singh, magician Dustin Tavella and other contestants advancing to the next round.
However, host Terry Cruise observed a semi-finalist missing from the lineup: singer and cancer fighter Jane Marczewski — aka Nightbirde. The 30-year-old Ohio won the competition last month after a knockout audition with her original song "It's Okay," a song that tells the story of her battle against brain, liver and spine cancer.
Unfortunately, last week's "AGT" favourite was forced to withdraw from the competition after her health "deteriorated".
But movingly, Marczewski appeared remotely on Wednesday as a surprise, causing a sensation in the crowd as she left.
On the phone, Simon Cowell, 61, visibly choked up, told Marczewski that she had made the right decision to focus on "your health and recovery."
"I can't say thank you for the opportunity to share my story, we're witnessing beautiful images of the human spirit," Marczewski responded gushingly. "I think seeing people come together because we're all hurt, we're all suffering, and we all have the potential to overcome, and I think it gives me a lot of confidence in humanity."
Cowell, who has always been grumpy, said: "I know the last time we talked, you actually said you felt like you had let people down [leaving the game]. "Well, I'm just speaking on behalf of someone we've said, you didn't disappoint anybody. Although you didn't play, you already won. ”
Cowell continued, "Your story has had such an impact on so many people. On behalf of all of us here, we extend our love to you and we can't wait to see you as soon as possible. Thank you so much for auditioning on the show and singing such a wonderful song. ”
