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See Why Howie Calls Yu Hojin “The Best Magic Act I’ve Seen in 5 Years”
Yu Hojin's Dream Team leader, Heidi Klum, may have a winner on her hands with his impressive magic Act.
Magician Yu Hojin was so “plane” amazing that Judge Howie Mandel let superlatives fly in Episode 3 of America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League.
“That was the best magic I have seen in the last five years,” Howie declared to the South Korean illusionist, who’s on Heidi Klum's Dream Team, in the thrill-a-minute NBC competition showdown.
RELATED: Sangsoon Kim Thinks He's a Better Magician Than AGT Veteran Yu Hojin
Howie added, “The ability to rise to that level working not even with your mentor of choice.” It was a cheeky nod to the fact that Yu Hojin appears to favor Simon Cowell.
Heidi, who said that her team member mentioned Simon too much, clearly noticed.
Why did Simon not pick Yu Hojin?
In a flashback to AGT Season 22, we were reminded that Cowell voted “No” after Yu Hojin’s audition. The performer was determined to change his mind and did that in the Live Shows, before ultimately finishing 11th.
Both agreed that Yu Hojin was a better magician because he pushed so hard to impress Cowell.
Before his Fantasy League turn, Yu Hojin said he was happy to be on Klum's team but confessed he was also “a little bit disappointed” that Cowell didn’t draft him, if for no other reason than to finish his redemption story.
“Since last year, he changed me a lot,” he said. “For me, Simon’s like my dad.”
“Maybe older brother,” quipped Simon, who was actually bummed not to have him on his team. But he was outmaneuvered by his AGT: Fantasy League competitor, Klum.
“I was faster,” she said. “I wanted to have a really good magician on my team, so I snagged him for me.”
In a mentoring session with Yu Hojin, Klum said, “I wanted you on my dream team because I love you and I think you're great -- and also because Simon wanted you.”
Yu Hojin’s paper plane magic Act
“Making paper airplanes reminds me of fun memories,” said Yu Hojin as his Act began. “Well, as we grow older, our memories fade with time. Memories are invisible, but are the most precious thing in my life.”
Ed Sheeran’s fast-paced “Overpass Graffiti,” about the persistence of memory, cued up. Heidi had advised him to use a familiar pop song. The magician casually pulled white paper airplanes from nowhere, tossing them across the stage.
He then turned a crumpled piece of paper into a bouncy ball before making a white pinwheel materialize out of thin air. A fleet of paper planes was eventually summoned. In a final moment, they flew across the stage in a dazzling airshow. Yu Hojin made it all look effortlessly elegant.
The judges? There were impressed! “You’ve developed this very laid-back Vegas-style persona — world-class,” said Simon.
“You’re not just cool, you’re kind of very slick and very confident,” said Mel B. “I love how you are with it all.”
After his comment about the Act being “the best magic” he’s seen in ages, Howie doubled down with a bold prediction about Yu Hojin’s chances of advancing.
“Listen, only five acts can go through,” he said. “I promise you you are going to be one of the five.”
And Heidi? “I still love him even though he has a crush on Simon.”
Tune in every Monday at 8/7c on NBC to watch AGT: Fantasy League. If you can’t watch the show live, new episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
