‘America’s Got Talent’ episode 3 recap: Did ‘AGT Auditions 3’ include any Golden Buzzer acts? [LIVE BLOG]

“America’s Got Talent” continued season 18 on June 13 with a two-hour showcase of acts in “Auditions 3.” There are no changes to judges’ dais this summer with executive producer Simon Cowell and long-time judge Howie Mandel taking their place on the ends of the table. Heidi Klum returns as well, as does Sofia Vergara who took a break when “All-Stars” aired earlier this year. Hosting duties are entrusted to the lively Terry Crews once again.

In the audition phase of “AGT,” an act needs at least three of the four judges to give them a “yes” vote to advance to the next round. If two or more judges buzz the act, they are immediately eliminated. Each judge and Crews has one chance to hit the “golden buzzer” and send an act straight through to the live performances.

In the season premiere, Simon led the panel in handing out the first ever Audience Golden Buzzer to Mzansi Youth Choir from South Africa. Simon gave the Golden Buzzer to 17 year old Indonesian pianist and singer Putri Ariani in episode 2.

The format will be the same as in previous seasons, with “America’s Got Talent” airing just on Tuesdays at first with the initial weeks devoted to the auditions that took place around the country. The live shows begin on Tuesday, August 22 with voting results shows following on Wednesday.

Below, read our minute-by-minute “America’s Got Talent” recap of Season 18, Episode 3 to find out what happened Tuesday, June 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite acts on NBC’s long-running reality TV show and who you think will ultimately join the AGT list of champions.

8:02 p.m. – The first performer of the night was music teacher John Wines from the United Kingdom. His playing of a classic Queen track on the electric guitar set the audience ablaze with applause. Sofia said it was “so much fun to watch,” supporting John who was moved to tears by the crowd chanting “We want more!” Simon added that he “turns into somebody else” when he performs and Heidi called him a rock star. Simon, Sofia and Heidi all said “yes,” later joined by Howie to make it unanimous.

8:11 p.m. – Sofia pumped ventriloquist Brynn Cummings up prior to her big moment on stage as a huge fan of champion Darci Lynne Farmer. Brynn surprised the judges by mixing the ventriloquism with mentalism alongside her dragon puppet Penelope. Sofia said the act was “so much fun” and that she’s an adorable performer. Howie likes that the season is becoming about “mash-ups” with people blending their acts into multiple disciplines. Heidi agrees that she’s figured out the perfect act for herself and Simon called her “so talented and so charming.” The judges all united in their “yes” votes to send Brynn through to the next round.

8:22 p.m. – Karaoke singer Roland Abante from the Philippines was up next with his rendition of “When a Man Loves a Woman.” As if the immediate standing ovation that followed didn’t signify the judges’ adoration for Roland, their “yes” votes couldn’t be any more clear. Heidi called it a “mic drop” audition, Sofia said he needs to be on stage, Simon said he pulled off the unexpected, and Howie agreed with Simon that Roland’s emotion made the performance greater.

8:34 p.m. – Alex and Alex set a goal for increasing the popularity of their harp and guitar instruments to the forefront, but Simon and Howie led the judges’ panel in agreement that they’re not made to do Vegas. Their audition was followed by Sicilian musician Riccardo Pace who got an immediate red X button from Simon. Riccardo was dressed as an opera singer, but his hand-noise instrumental split the judges. Simon maintained his “no” vote while Howie appreciates the “hand-made” element and Heidi acknowledged that it’s actually a hard skill to master. Howie and Heidi were a “yes,” so it came down to Sofia’s vote. Sofia didn’t know if it was worth a million dollars, but she settled on “yes” because it’s a unique act and the audience was cheering for her to keep him around.

8:45 p.m. – 28 year old comedian Ahren Belisle spoke to the judges through a text-to-speech app that he also uses when delivering his stand up comedy sets. In his set, Ahren explained that he has cerebral palsy through jokes about Stephen Hawking and disability in general. Simon called him both “funny and fearless” in a great audition and Sofia noticed his positive energy and wishes that he’s the comedian that finally wins “AGT.” Heidi added that he found his way through comedy in a fantastic way and Howie thinks he has a grasp of “timing and humor” in a perfect way. Going down the line, it was four “yes” votes for Ahren to advance to the next round.

8:56 p.m. – Hula hooper Grace Good promised Terry “unlike anything you’ve ever seen” ahead of her performance. Grace’s act added aerialism and hoops on fire in order to up the ante on her talent. Heidi leapt to her feet at the end of the performance, pointing out that they’ve never seen anything like that and she belongs in Vegas. Howie liked that, again, it merged multiple disciplines, Sofia called it exciting, and then Grace made it clear to Simon that she has much more to show in future rounds. No questions asked, it was a clear “yes,” “yes,” “yes,” and “yes” for Grace to move on.

9:07 p.m. – Alfie Andrew claims to have been a singer “since 0 years old” so at the present age of 12 he brings a wealth of experience to the stage. His version of “Hold My Hand” caused Heidi to say he “nailed it,” Howie to mention he hit every note perfectly, Sofia to profess that she’d buy his record, and Simon to call his voice “distinct” and him memorable and cool. Once again the judges collected four “yes” votes to give Alfie another chance in the next round.

9:18 p.m. – Aspiring Guiness World Record breaker David Rush returned to “AGT” this season to break another record. Three years ago he broke the record for tearing off the most t-shirts; this time he wanted to get a “yes” from Howie this time by bringing him on stage to help achieve the record for most fist bumps. Immediately into the 30 second time crunch, Simon, Sofia and Heidi all hit their red X buttons. The adjudicator reviewed the clip backstage in slomo in order to certify the results before announcing the great news that David and Howie earned a new world record of 380 fist bumps in 30 seconds. Simon, Sofia and Heidi all maintained their “no” votes because the act was boring despite the record. Still, David got the “yes” he wanted from Howie and that was enough to send him home happy.

9:30 p.m. – The next act to audition was Alexandr Leshchenko and his wife who is both his muse and creative producer for a holographic box dance act. It was a huge relief for Alexandr to get comments like “that was the best thing I’ve seen this evening” from Sofia and “you are such a star” from Simon. Heidi added that there’s been a lot of technology mixed into art on the show, but says he danced “so beautifully” on top of it. Howie was impressed that Alexandr was able to “flourish creatively” and was able to exceed his expectations. It was an easy four “yes” votes for Alexandr to advance.

9:41 p.m. – Sofia and Heidi were excited to see Herwan Legaillard take the stage because of his striking style. They were less excited once they realized that Herwan is a sword swallower and had to look on while he fit sword after curved sword after glowing sword into his mouth. Still, Heidi called him “incredible” because he showed a new combination and for “looking so good doing it.” Sofia called it “heart stopping” and thinks he’ll be a success in Vegas. Howie continued to be impressed with how season 18 acts are upping the game on talents they’ve seen before and Simon said that everything about the audition is what they’re looking for, calling it one of the best. All four judges voted “yes” to send the French danger act through.

9:52 p.m. – The night concluded with Chioma & The Atlanta Drum Academy collecting on stage for a rousing performance of their group drum skills. Led by 8 year old Chioma, the drummers filled the room with energizing beats, dancing, and completed tricks with their drumsticks. The judges and audience rose in ovation at the end, calling it “fun and energetic,” “amazing,” and saying they have “a very big chance of winning this competition.” Simon said that he “didn’t like it, [he] absolutely loved it.” When Simon called for a vote, Terry said “There’s no need to vote” because he was descending the stage to fulfill Chioma’s dream of receiving the Golden Buzzer.

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