The Season 18 premiere of "America's Got Talent" aired Tuesday, May 30 on NBC, with returning judges Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell all back at the panel to discover fresh talent. The first act to take the stage this summer was Trex Flips, who came out dressed in a cheap-looking dinosaur costume. Sofia had an instant negative reaction to seeing the goofy contestant, even asking aloud, "Is it bad that I already want to say no?"
When Trex Flips said that he'd be "a little sad" to get an immediate no, the judge replied, "I'm not gonna say it right now. I'm gonna let you do your thing. But I have a feeling." The crowd chuckled in response. Obviously the show's producers wanted the audience to think this act was just another Sethward, but that was far from the truth.
SEE 'America's Got Talent' winners list: All seasons, plus 'Champions' and 'Extreme'
The routine began with Trex Flips getting into position to dance, and then "Larger Than Life" by Backstreet Boys began playing. The contestant, who works as a project manager at an HVAC Company, spent the next minute-plus doing all kinds of jumps, spins and flips on the big stage, all while wearing the enormous dinosaur outfit. By the end of the act, all four judges were up on their feet, with Sofia laughing out loud.
"Oh my god," the Colombian actress began. "I am so, so happy that I did not say no to you. That tells you, we should never, never judge a book without reading it before."
A confused Howie quickly interjected, "That's not the saying. It's you shouldn't don't judge a book by its cover."
Trex Flips then explained the moment he knew what he wanted to do with his life: "At my current job I'm not super happy there, so if I could do something and make people happy and change my life, I think that would make me feel more fulfilled."
Heidi was "amazed" by the fact that the dancer always landed on his feet, "even on the backflip - good for you." She then chuckled, "I was imagining you at home trying this in your outfit in your bedroom."
Simon proclaimed proudly, "This is the best dancing dinosaur we have ever had on 'AGT.'"
Howie noted how the key for him personally is always "surprise." He declared, "And you are the ultimate surprise. You walked out, you're wearing a costume that every 11-year-old wore on Halloween . It's not only the dancing, it's the ability to flip in this costume. So your dream came true here on 'AGT.'"
The judges gave him four yeses, including Sofia who had completely come around after wanting to vote no when she first laid eyes upon him. "I can't wait to see what else you can do in this stupid costume," she proclaimed. Trex Flips will next be seen in the Judge Cuts round, where the panelists will determine whether he's good enough to advance to the "AGT" Season 18 live shows. Stay tuned.
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