Vergara’s semifinal critique sparks audience boos during AGT live show

Boos erupted in the studio as Sofia Vergara, a judge on “America’s Got Talent,” publicly expressed disbelief over Cesar Dias’ advancement to the semifinals. The incident occurred during the live broadcast on September 16, 2026, at 8/7c on NBC.

What Vergara said about Dias’ semifinal placement

Vergara made the remark immediately after Dias completed his performance. Howie Mandel observed, “I have never seen you laugh so hard,” to which she responded by questioning how Dias had qualified for the semifinals. Her comment triggered immediate disapproval from the audience.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Vergara stated: “Well, I guess I have the same feeling like the rest of America that voted for him. We just want to laugh at silly, simple things that shouldn’t be on AGT, but we don’t know how they have made it to the semifinals.”

Mel B also faced audience backlash over her feedback

Mel B joined Vergara in offering critical commentary on Dias’ act. She told him: “I said the first time I saw you, you reminded me of Peter Sellers. And I know it’s your schtick, but I think you could just do so much more. I think you’re better than what you did. You could’ve chosen a better song and had more things go wrong. I feel like you stepped it down and didn’t step it up. I’m sorry.” That assessment likewise drew boos from the crowd.

The September 16 episode featured 12 semifinalists: Acro Canine Crew, Cesar Dias, Come Here, Daniel Alvarez, Geno Ploeger, Kameron Marshall, Luke Taleno, Olivia Befus, Royal Lasers, Travis Garland, Veronika Goroshkova, and Young & Strange. Of these, six will advance to the finale alongside the Golden Buzzer acts.

“America’s Got Talent” premiered on June 2, 2026. The two-night finale is scheduled for September 22–23, 2026.