Howie Mandel has seen plenty of auditions throughout his time judging America’s Got Talent. But nothing could have prepared him for what can only be described as a terrifying audition on America’s Got Talent: All-Stars.
During a recent episode of the NBC series, Asia’s Got Talent season 2 winner and illusionist The Sacred Riana stepped onto the stage to vie for a spot in the global competition. After approaching Howie, Simon Cowell and Heidi Klum at the judges’ table with a ripped drawing, she completed it with a missing piece the Canadian comedian unknowingly held. But that was only the beginning. She then asked Howie to participate in the rest of her act.
“Come, he still wants to play,” she said, referencing the man in the image, before motioning Howie to follow her up the stairs. “Come with me.”
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As he joined Riana onstage, she proceeded to perform a number of unexplained illusions. After Howie took a seat in a throne-like chair, she pulled out the other half of the drawing she originally showed and a knife in a wood block. In a stunning twist, when the AGT: All Stars contestant punctuated the photo with the knife, the live audience saw Howie wince.
“I feel like I got stabbed in the back,” he told viewers as he squirmed in the chair. What’s more, after Riana spelled his out in ashes and Howie claimed he heard his name be whispered to him, he ran off the stage. When he looked at the photo again, a message appeared that read: “I’m coming for you Howie!!!”
“I’m finished! I’m really legitimately, I’m not kidding, I’m telling you that I’m terrified,” Howie said. “Read the note! I was poked in the back. I was stabbed in the back. He knows my name and he’s coming for me.”
Just like the longtime AGT judge, fans were also creeped out by Riana’s trick. They immediately began screaming about it in the comments section on YouTube.
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“She is so horrifying yet entertaining at the same time. I did not expect her to come back but I’m so glad she did,” one person wrote. “She deserves an act in Vegas, she is very unique. I think the judges are actually scared to death of her,” a different user noted. “She’s truly the queen of All Stars for the rest of the performers ❤️❤️❤️,” another added.
For those curious about what the judges thought of Riana’s performance, it’s easy to say they were spooked. As for whether she made it through to the next round of auditions, she was eliminated from AGT: All-Stars … but that doesn’t mean she’ll soon be forgotten.
Editorial Assistant
As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.