America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League: Simon Cowell gushes about his act Sainted choir after they cover Madonna’s Like A Prayer during finals

Simon Cowell was blown away watching Sainted choir perform a cover of Madonna’s Like A Prayer on Monday’s finals episode of America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League on NBC.

‘I actually feel I’m literally in heaven,’ said Simon, 64, after the performance by his dream team act concluded the two-hour episode featuring the final 10 contestants. 

‘I mean, seriously. I have seen how hard this group has worked from day one, and we’ve thrown some tough songs, there’s challenges, and they’ve embraced the challenges. They want to win this so much, and this means everything to them. And I love everything about you, what you stand for. That was again incredible. So powerful and so emotional,’ Simon added.

The Sainted choir from Charlotte, North Carolina, were a part of Simon’s dream team and he encouraged them before they took the stage to reimagine the song and make it their own. The choir, dressed in purple matching outfits, encouraged the audience to sing along with them during their performance and confetti rained down on them when they finished.

‘You can sing anything and everything,’ Mel B., 48, said. ‘And you know what I love is that you just all go there in sync.’

‘Every time you are on the stage you deliver an unforgettable performance every single one of them including today,’ Heidi Klum, 50, said.

‘This was heavenly and you brought it,’ Howie Mandel , 68, said.

Sainted was one of the top 10 acts who competed to be crowned AGT: Fantasy League champions and win the $250,000 grand prize.

The Pack Drumline from Chicago, part of Simon’s dream team, opened up the show with an energetic performance.

‘Being an underdog isn’t a bad thing,’ Simon told them before they performed. ‘I really believe this could be a life-changing moment.’

The drummers danced in unison while also playing each other’s instruments and even drumming upside down. One drummer lit the cymbals on fire as he played.

‘This might be one of those years where the underdog actually takes the title home,’ Simon said. ‘You so deserve this because you have worked hard for this. As a show, as a song, as a performance, It was absolutely outstanding.’

‘I got to say, that was amazing,’ Howie said.

Contortionist and aerialist Sofie Dossi went next. Sofie, who was Heidi’s Golden Buzzer act, hung 12-feet off the ground for her final performance while spinning to Soft Cell’s song Tainted Love. She did a handstand and almost a backbend on top of the elevated platform. She hopped along as the platform wheel spun. The audience gave her a standing ovation.

‘That’s too short,’ Simon said.

‘Absolutely incredible,’ Heidi said. ‘ You are so strong, so innovative, so beautiful. This was a perfect act!’

Mel said she just wished her act went on longer.

Kodi Lee from Irvine, California, performed Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Kodi, who won AGT in 2019 was on Howie’s team after he stole him away. Kodi, who is legally blind and autistic, sat down and played the piano and stunned the crowd with his musical ability. The judges gave him a standing ovation when he finished. Kodi jumped up and down excited hearing the cheers.

‘You’re a star,’ Howie said. ‘You always deliver. I’m so proud that I could be the mentor of your dream team.’

‘I think you are so very talented, Kodi,’ Heidi said. ‘Not to take away from what you just did but I loved your own songs so much.’

V. Unbeatable dance crew from India, who were on Heidi’s dream team after she stole them from Howie, went next. The team was determined to show the world that they were back. Heidi urged them to be safe during their final performance. 

They wowed the audience with their synchronized dancing and flipping off a high platform into each other’s arms. The audience and the judges gave them a standing ovation.

‘No one does it like you guys do it,’ Heidi said. ‘No one jumps as high as you all do. No one wants it as much as you do.’

‘The timing was so impeccable,’ Simon said ‘That was an incredible, incredible performance.’

The Ramadhani Brothers, from Tanzania, Africa, who were on Howie’s dream team, performed their dangerous strong-man act by balancing handstands on top of each other’s heads. One brother even climbed a ladder while the other balanced upside down on his head. They even performed their balancing act while blindfolded.

‘That is so hard,’ Simon said to Mel.

‘That was a winning performance!’ Howie said.

Heidi told them she was very upset that Howie stole them from her, but that she loved their performance.

‘It was incredible!’ Mel said.

‘This was for me your best performance,’ Simon said.

South African dancer Musa Motha, who performed with crutches after losing his leg during childhood to cancer, performed another incredible dance routine to Naughty Boy’s song Runnin’. He showed himself stumbling while using his crutch to dance. Before taking the stage, Musa said he was on the show to win as a dancer not as a ‘disabled dancer.’

‘I always tell myself that if someone sees me as a disabled dancer onstage, then I’ve failed,’ Musa said.

The crowd chanted his name when he finished.

‘You are incredibly talented, inspirational,’ said his mentor Simon. ‘You are also such a humble, sweet person.’

Simon told him that he made the show really special.

‘You have shown us excellence in the face of adversity,’ Howie said. ‘You’ve shown us the manifestation of a dream in the face of hurdles.’

‘I think there is a beauty and a purpose in you being here,’ Heidi said. ‘I totally believe this is your time right now and this is the place for you.’

‘This is a day that is going to change my life,’ Musa said. ‘I love American people and I really love you guys. And I’m grateful to have your support.’

Aerialist Aidan Bryant from Prince George, Virginia, the former AGT winner, now on Mel’s dream team went next. He used his aerial hop which he said was his specialty. Aidan, who was self taught, twirled in the hoop from high above the stage. He spun from the hoop at times holding on with only one arm.

‘You were like a poet up there. I don’t know how else to describe it,’ Heidi said. ‘You are absolutely incredible.’

Simon told him that he loved his performance, too. Howie started to say what he didn’t like when Mel then pushed all the ‘X’ buzzers to shut him up.

‘What I didn’t like, let me finish, is that you are not on Howie’s dream team, and that bothers me,’ Howie said.

Shadow Ace, from the Philippines, performed his shadow puppet act using Heidi in his act. He said he already felt like the luckiest person just making it to the AGT stage. Heidi played along in the act. She even sang along in parts.

‘You always have amazing music, Heidi’s song,’ Mel said. ‘What you do with your hands is magical.’

‘Even though it’s so silly it’s so great at the same time,’ Simon said.

Roller skaters Billy and Emily England, from Las Vegas, who started out on Simon’s dream team but went to Mel after she took them with the Golden Buzzer, were the penultimate performers. Emily wore a ‘Scary Spice’ T-shirt for the act. They tried a dangerous stunt where Emily would be hanging by her hair over the stage that had been lit on fire.

‘You absolutely did a killer performance right there,’ Mel said.

‘You are crazy, but crazy good, this was insane,’ Heidi said.

‘One of the best we’ve seen tonight,’ Simon said.

The winning act and coach of the spin-off series will be announced next week in the AGT: Fantasy League season finale on NBC.