'AGT' ventriloquist stuns with tribute to Olivia Newton-John

Yahoo Entertainment
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The Qualifiers continued on America's Got Talent Tuesday night with another 11 acts taking the stage live. One of those acts was Celia Munoz, a ventriloquist from Madrid, Spain.

While we've seen many ventriloquist acts in the past on AGT, most notably Season 2 winner Terry Fator and Season 12 winner Darci Lynne, Munoz's act is a little different in that she doesn't use a puppet. Trained as an opera singer, Munoz sings while acting as though she's just hanging out and taking part in normal activities like flossing her teeth or, in the case of Tuesday night's act, eating popcorn while watching a movie.

The movie and song of choice, though, is what stunned the audience. Munoz performed Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted To You" from the hit 1978 movie Grease.

Judges and viewers loved the tribute to the late actress and singer who died on August 8th at the age of 73.

Howie Mandel shared, "Wow. You know, here at America's Got Talent, we love originality and you are original. What you do is a capella, right? An a capella singer sings without musicians. You're an a capella ventriloquist – you do it without puppets. And you've also given us a glimpse on what would have been if Olivia Newton-John was born in Spain."

"I loved it," said Heidi Klum. "First of all, I love the tribute to Olivia Newton-John. I love that." Klum also shared that she couldn't understand how Munoz was able to eat and do ventriloquism at the same time, as she thought it was incredible. And while Simon Cowell loved the act, he also thought it was hilarious.

Simon stated, "I was laughing so much because so many people are used to seeing the ventriloquist with a dummy, they might have tuned in and said, 'This is just a very odd singer.' So I was laughing so much. But it was brilliant, it was unique, it was different. That's why I think the audience reacted the way they did. I think, Celia, in my opinion, this might be the best act so far."

Video Transcript

[AUDIO LOGO]

[MUSIC - OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, "HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO YOU"]

CELIA MUNOZ: (SINGING) Since you tossed my love aside, I'm out of my head, hopelessly devoted to you.

KYLIE MAR: The qualifiers continued on "America's Got Talent" Tuesday night with another 11 acts taking the stage live, one of whom was Celia Munoz, a ventriloquist from Madrid, Spain.

CELIA MUNOZ: (SINGING) Hopelessly devoted to you. Hopelessly devoted to you.

KYLIE MAR: The judges and viewers at home thought Celia doing ventriloquism without a puppet was both original and creative.

HOWIE MANDEL: What you do is acapella, right? An acapella singer sings without musicians. You're an acapella ventriloquist. You do it without puppets. And you've also given us a glimpse on what life would have been if Olivia Newton-John was born in Spain.

KYLIE MAR: However, what everyone loved most about Celia's performance was the fact that it was a tribute to singer and actress Olivia Newton-John, who died on August 8 at the age of 73.

HEIDI KLUM: First of all, I love the tribute to Olivia Newton-John. I love that. I love how you create this set and how you suck us into your world. And you make all the noises. And I don't know how you eat and do ventriloquism at the same time. It's incredible.

KYLIE MAR: And while Simon Cowell loved the act, he also thought it was totally hilarious.

SIMON COWELL: So many people are used to seeing a ventriloquist with the dummy. They might have tuned in and gone, this is just a very odd singer.

KYLIE MAR: Yeah.

SIMON COWELL: I was laughing so much, but it was brilliant.

[AUDIO LOGO]