PASADENA, CALIFORNIA: During his second performance on 'America's Got Talent,' Ahren Belisle brought chuckles and flirts to the stage. Fans, including the judges, were left in stitches after watching the comedian try to shoot his shot with a newly single Sofia Vergara.
Since Ahren suffers from cerebral palsy, he relies on text-to-speech technology for his standup routine. He enters the stage with his assistance dog and employs dry humor. "If you don't vote for me, he won't eat tonight," Ahren jokingly said of his dog.
Ahren cracked a joke by referring to Sofia as "Sofia Viagra." Heidi Klum made one thing plain when she inquired if the judge had ever been jokingly referred to as that.
"I'm single!" Sofia stated this while making two peace signs.
Fans noticed Sofia's reaction to his act, as they wrote on X, "Sofia's face during Ahren's set." One also wondered, "I want to know what @ahren_comedy was typing in response to Sofia saying she was single until @SimonCowell c**k-blocked him." Another person quipped, "Ahren shooting his shot with Sofia #Respect." A fourth user tweeted, "I LOVE AHREN SO MUCH!!! I can't stop laughing especially at Sofia Viagra."
One person also tweeted, "LOL Sofia Viagra hahaha ahren was really funny tonight on #AGT Good job!" Another person chimed in, "Wish there was more. Currently the only act I didn't want to skip."
Ahren Belisle impresses 'AGT' judges in Qualifier 2
Ahren noted ahead of his performance that a lot of work goes into creating his performances and that something may always go wrong with the audio output when delivering his gags. Tuesday's show focused on his handicap and what it's like to live with cerebral palsy, and he included jokes about his service dog, who was on stage with him.
Heidi admires Ahren for figuring out how to make his ambition a reality, Sofia views his philosophy on life as a major component of what makes him amusing, and Simon Cowell believes he's inherently humorous and wishes the performance could last longer. Howie Mandel concluded the comments by urging the audience to vote for Ahren in order for him to proceed to the finale.
Ahren Belisle blames technology for limiting his 'witty, fast-thinking delivery' on 'AGT'
Ahren, who has only been performing standup since the winter of 2022, is one of the frontrunners on Tuesday's 'AGT' Live Shows, which will feature 11 artists competing for only two slots in the finale.
Ahren, who has cerebral palsy, communicates with the audience and does his standup routine via a text-to-speech program, which is both good and horrible. Ahren would not be able to perform on 'AGT' without technology, but technology is also the most challenging element of his performance since it occasionally fails.
"It certainly limits my witty, fast thinking and delivery," he said in an exclusive email interview with Parade. "Writing jokes and editing jokes is a massive task because the app I use is not user-friendly or built for a comedian with hundreds of lines in an order that often get changed. At the same time, though, the way I deliver my comedy is great because it builds tension and it kind of suits my physicality and persona well."
When will 'AGT' Season 18 Qualifier 3 air?
Eleven artists take the stage live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on September 5, with the audience voting for their favorite performance to advance to the final round.
'America's Got Talent' Season 18 now airs both Tuesdays and Wednesdays on NBC at 8 pm ET.
