From left: Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, Adrian Stoica and Hurricane, Heidi Klum, and Terry Crews after the ‘AGT’ season 18 finale.Photo:Trae Patton/NBC
Trae Patton/NBC
Warning: this story contains spoilers from theAmerica’s Got Talentseason 18 finale.
The season 18 finale ofAmerica’s Got Talentsurprised plenty of people — including judgeSimon Cowell!
After a nail-biting round of eliminations,Adrian Stoica and his dog Hurricanewere crowned the winners ofAGTin part two of the season finale on Wednesday night.
Adrian Stoica and Hurricane on ‘AGT’.Trae Patton/NBC
Speaking to PEOPLE backstage after the show, Cowell, 63, admitted that the season’s outcome came as a “bit of a surprise” to him.
“You can’t please everyone — there were people who were disappointed, people who were surprised, but it’s a public vote, and their act last night was amazing,” he said of Stoica and his pup. “So a bit of a surprise, but I’m happy. I would’ve been happy with anyone winning from last night, if I’m being honest with you.”
“The dog is so adorable,” added the judge, who has three pups himself. “And I think that was pretty amazing. It was like a happy ending.”
Adrian Stoica and Hurricane on ‘AGT’.Chris Haston/NBC
Chris Haston/NBC
Additionally, it was a bonus for him that his 9-year-old son,Eric— who was in the audience Wednesday night — was “thrilled” to see Stoica and Hurricane win. “We’re going to have a good car right back [home],” Cowell joked.
Eric wasn’t the only one excited about this season’s winner. Fellow judgeHeidi Klumtold PEOPLE she was “super happy” for the “adorable” duo.
“I’m super excited for them. [Stoica’s] a really lovely man,” she said. “Hurricane is super cute … I loved that he did everything without treats. Because we’ve seen a lot of dog acts, and what they do is they always constantly feed little treats to the dog in order for them to do the next thing, or they yell at them to do different things. And it was just beautiful how Hurricane could just memorize all of the act without him prompting [her].”
“It was amazing — it was like an actor who really read the script and was able to do it all,” Klum, 50, added. “It was very cute. I mean, how can it not be cute? It’s a beautiful dog act.”
Heidi Klum at the “America’s Got Talent” Season 18 Live Show - Red Carpet at Hotel Dena on September 5, 2023.John Salangsang/Variety via Getty
John Salangsang/Variety via Getty
Terry Crews attends the red carpet for “America’s Got Talent” season 18 live show at Hotel Dena on August 29, 2023 in Pasadena, California.Kevin Winter/Getty
Kevin Winter/Getty
As for Stoica, he said he simply feels “lucky” to get to spend this time with his faithful canine companion. Outside ofAGT, the pair have performed all over the world together, and now that they have the title under their belt, he called their journey together “magical.”
“I’m so happy,” the Italian-born trainer, 45, told PEOPLE backstage after the show. “When you have quality time with your dog, it’s the best thing in the world.”
The duo were up against 10 other acts in the finale: magician Anna DeGuzman, synchronized dance groupMurmuration, stand-up comedian Ahren Belisle, singer-musicianPutri Ariani, head-balancing duo the Ramadhani Brothers, singerLavender Darcangelo, dance groupChibi Unity, theMzansi Youth Choir, the82nd Airborne Division Chorusand the all-women Japanese dance group Avantgardey.
Adrian Stoica and Hurricane.Trae Patton/NBC
During Wednesday’s finale, the judges announced the top 5 acts as Stoica and Hurricane, the Ramadhani Brothers, Putri Ariani, Anna DeGuzman and Murmuration. Ultimately, the Ramadhani Brothers finished in fifth place, Ariani in fourth, Murmuration in third, and DeGuzman in second.
As the winners, Stoica and Hurricane walked away with a grand prize of $1 million and a headlining act as part of theAmerica’s Got TalentPresents Superstars Live show at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
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Season 18 ofAmerica’s Got Talentcan be streamed in full on Hulu.
source: people.com
