Spoiler alert! This story discusses the final night of auditions on America’s Got Talent Season 21. If you didn’t watch the July 21 episode, you can stream it with a Peacock subscription.
That’s a wrap on auditions for AGT’s 21st season, and while we've seen some incredible Golden Buzzer acts this season, they sure did save some of the best for last. The competition’s first round concluded Monday on the 2026 TV schedule, and in addition to a standup comic who wouldn’t quit and Pynk Beard’s country bop that had everybody on their feet, we met Maria. No one knew what to expect when the 18-year-old from Bavaria, Germany, took the stage, but her talent had me literally screaming.
Maria said she’d been watching America’s Got Talent all of her life, and she hoped to inspire others with her talent. Then the contortionist began to bend into shapes that shouldn’t be possible for a human body. This video is a must-watch:
Wow! Channel Zero's contortionist clown Pretzel Jack ain't got nothing on her! How were there no Golden Buzzers left for this astonishing act?
I am not exaggerating when I say I was screaming. At first I couldn’t wrap my head around how she was wrapping her head around and through her legs like that. Then when the box came out, a high-pitched, “NOOOOOO!” burst out of me. Despite the radiant smile on Maria’s face the whole time, I still have a hard time believing that wasn’t super painful.
Howie Mandel had a fun way of describing the teenager’s talent, telling her afterward:
We’ve seen contortionists before, but you seem to go beyond the point of where most people bend. You’re like a living, cute little pretzel.
Maria explained that when she was 10 was in a wheelchair for two years because inflammation on her spine had caused her to be paralyzed. When she regained movement, she said she was more flexible than before.
Mel B has fawned over some of the Season 21 acts so far, but she had trouble watching this one, covering her eyes and turning away as the contortionist twisted her head to sit below her entire torso. Simon Cowell, meanwhile, was thoroughly impressed, telling the 18-year-old:
That was actually brilliant. I mean, from your story to your confidence, and I always think with an act like this, ‘Where is it gonna end?’ And then you put yourself in a box. I mean, that’s a cool ending.
Yes, it was definitely cool and quite a few other adjectives.
I can’t imagine that we won’t see Maria again in the live shows, but the competition is fierce. After the final audition, Terry Crews led Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Mel B and Howie Mandel into a room with cards showing every act they’d sent through. Cowell estimated there were around 100 of them, and the judges were tasked with finding just 34 to join the 10 Golden Buzzer winners who were already sent through.
We’ll find out next week who made the cut and who didn’t, but I’ll be surprised if anyone can get the same reaction out of me that Maria’s audition did. Tune in at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 28, on NBC to see the live acts revealed.
