In recent years, especially in television talent shows, ventriloquism have quite earned a following. It’s a kind of entertainment where a person makes use of a dummy that is often a puppet, and makes it talk using the person’s voice without making it seem too obvious. There are many known ventriloquists in America such as Jeff Dunham and Terry Fator. Most ventriloquists are experienced adults, who have been in the industry for years.
But despite its popularity, it is very evident that being a ventriloquist can be a big challenge — you have to humor people with your mouth closed, still we ask, how do they do it? But what more if a 12-year old does it?
It was May 2017 when Darci Lynne appeared on the auditions of Americas Got Talent as a singing ventriloquist with her friend Petunia, the bunny. She immediately caught the hearts of the audience and the judges with her quirky, yet light humor, and of course, her singing voice in disguise as Petunia. Her performance gave her an instant golden buzzer from Mel B which made her very emotional. She deserved it after all, because at the competition finals, she was declared season twelve’s winner.
But winning America’s Got Talent does not stop for Darci Lynne. Now that she’s all grown up, she’s back on the AGT stage after two years for its newly launched segment, “The Champions.” Now that she’s older, she’s bringing with her a funnier sense of humor. But does she still really have what it takes to win America once again using her puppet friends?
In an interview before her comeback performance for The Champions, she talked about life and how things have changed for her after winning in Season 12. She expressed that her journey post America’s Got Talent has been a roller coaster ride — she got invited to different shows and had the chance to express her talent to various types of audiences. “It’s just been awesome.” She said.
When asked by her Golden Buzzer giver from 2017, on why she wanted to participate in AGT’s The Champions, she said: ”Well, I always love a good competition, but I missed being on ‘AGT’ and maybe having a chance to have the ‘World Champion’ title just seemed awesome so.”
And Simon being Simon followed up with: “No pressure, but you’re the first up, so let’s set the standards.”
Darci Lynne sticked with her usual setup — a quick conversation with her puppet friends, followed by a singing number by her and the puppet. And speaking of puppets, instead of bringing classic Petunia, she brought her partner Oscar instead. Together with her puppet friend, Darci sang “Nutbush City Limits” and “Proud Mary” and this teenager did not disappoint at all. The judges once again showed how much they enjoyed and appreciated Darcy Lynne’s performance. Mel B specifically expressed that Oscar the puppet won her heart and has high hopes that America will vote for her.
This new segment of America’s Got Talent is definitely something to look forward to. With Darci Lynne setting the mood, we understand better why it’s called “The Champions.”
Watch Darci Lynne’s performance at America’s Got Talent: The Champions here: