Ventriloquist Darci Lynne is showing off a ‘new side’ on this ‘AGT’ spinoff. Will it get her to the finale?
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It’s been seven years since Darci Lynne Farmer stepped onto the stage of “America’s Got Talent” to sing George Gershwin’s “Summertime” — with the help of her sassy rabbit puppet named Petunia.
That audition garnered 67 million views on YouTube, and solidified Farmer as the “AGT” contestant to beat that season. The then-12-year-old ventriloquist ended up winning — and became the youngest winner in the show’s history.
Now, at 19, Farmer has more tricks up her sleeve. And she’s showing off a new side of her artistry in a new “AGT” spinoff.
Darci Lynne competes on ‘AGT: Fantasy League’
Farmer is competing on “AGT: Fantasy League,” where the show’s four judges — Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel — have each drafted their dream team that consists of 10 acts from “AGT” over the years. Farmer got picked for Klum’s team and made it to the semifinals following her “Fantasy League” audition.
Although Farmer brought back Petunia for her “Fantasy League” debut, the ventriloquist’s act was different than what the judges and viewers were used to.
“I’ve come back to show the new side of me,” she said in a clip that aired before her “Fantasy League” audition. “I’m known for my ventriloquism, but there is more to me than just a ventriloquist.
“I just don’t want to be put into a box, and so for my performance tonight, I’m doing something different,” she added.
Farmer’s performance started typically enough, doing a duet of “I’ve Got The Music In Me” with Petunia. After the first verse, though, the ventriloquist let go of Petunia, strapped on a guitar and took the lead on the song. But Petunia still managed to get some singing in from time to time.
Although the audience seemed to enjoy Farmer’s performance, the “Fantasy League” judges weren’t as convinced.
“I’m glad you didn’t abandon Petunia all the way, because this is how we fell in love with you,” Klum said.
Mel B noted that she loved the simplicity of Farmer’s act back when she was 12, and how it was a back-and-forth routine with Petunia. She told Farmer that putting down Petunia to strap on a guitar “overshadowed what you’re good at.”
“There are very few people in the world who can do what you do,” Cowell added, noting that Farmer’s combination of singing and ventriloquism is her “unique selling point.” “I think we were distracted away from what you do so brilliantly.”
Farmer seemed disappointed in the feedback, but in the end, the judges’ criticism didn’t really matter. The audience voted Farmer, along with four other acts, through to the semifinals.
The ventriloquist is one of 10 acts competing in the semifinal round airing Feb. 5. “AGT: Fantasy League” will reveal the three acts from the episode that will round out the top 10 competitors in the finale on Feb. 12. The show will award one winner the $250,000 grand prize on Feb. 19.
“I was really thankful for the opportunity to go on and show people who I am now, just because I think people have frozen me at 12,” Farmer told The Oklahoman. “So, I’m trying to kind of break out of that.”
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More about ventriloquist Darci Lynne Farmer
Farmer has appeared on “AGT” a number of times since her win in 2017 — including placing as runner-up on the spinoff “AGT: The Champions” in 2019 (magician Shin Lim won).
“After I won, they asked me to come back every year after to guest-perform, and so I come back every year on the show and see everybody that was there when I was 12. So, I measure my life like, ‘Oh, I got my license this year, and then I went on ‘AGT,’” she told The Oklahoman.
Farmer began learning ventriloquism when she was 10 as a way to help overcome her shyness, the Deseret News previously reported. And while the art form didn’t exactly come easy to her right away, now she considers it “second nature.”
“I’ve always thought of it as, my puppets can get away with murder but I can’t,” she previously told the Deseret News. “It’s funny, they say things that I would never say to someone but … can get away with it so it’s pretty fun.”
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Farmer’s “AGT” win made her the third ventriloquist to win the show, following one of her idols, Terry Fator, and Paul Zerdin. But she’s bringing the skill to a younger generation — and it’s something she’s proud of.
“It’s such a unique thing, so my whole goal was to bring it back and show people it’s OK to be shy,” Darci told the Deseret News in 2018. “ … I wanted to bring that back to show all the kids out there about ventriloquism so maybe they’d pick it up and have fun with it. That was my whole goal.”
The Oklahoma City native has also worked at pursuing a music career without the aid of her puppets over the years. She starred in the 2022 film “A Cowgirl’s Song,” and wrote and recorded the song “Just Breathe” for the soundtrack, per American Songwriter. She’s also releasing her debut single, “Push Our Luck,” on Feb. 5.
“I’m hoping to find a really cool way to bridge the gap between my puppets and my music and maybe go on the road with that. But I’m not sure,” Lynne told The Oklahoman. “... I’m just still trying to figure it out. But yeah, I would say I’m pursuing music full time right now, in this very moment.”
