America's Got Talent has wrapped one of its tightest competitions yet! On Wednesday night, the series aired the three-hour finale of season 15, crowning a champion out the 10 finalists. (Spoilers below!)
Sadly, judge Simon Cowell was unable to appear during the finale, as he's still recovering from the serious back injury he suffered in August. With judges Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum, other special guests made the season 15 conclusion a night to remember — including the Duchess of Sussex!
Meghan Markle's surprise America's Got Talent video message
Meghan Markle's appearance on the finale was a surprise highlight, as were other guests including Usher and Blake Shelton. She joined AGT to rally behind contestant Archie Williams, a singer who once served 37 years on wrongly-convicted charges of rape and attempted murder. Since his release, Williams has gained a huge following on the reality competition.
Host Terry Crews introduced to Williams a message from a "very special fan," after which Meghan appeared via video. She revealed that she and Harry are AGT fans and even touched on Williams's shared name with her 1-year-old son, Archie. Watch below!
"Just wanted to let you know that we've been so moved by your story and we've been cheering you on every week and it's not just because we're partial to the name," Meghan said.
"So, a very special message to you that I'll probably be saying all of my life, but on this night it's specifically for you: Archie, we are proud of you and are rooting for you, we can't wait to see what you do. We're in your corner, have a good night."
AGT season 15 finale reveals winner
Sadly, for the Sussex household and fans of Williams, the inspiring singer didn't make the Top 5 at the end of the night. Here's how the results turned out:
- 5th place: Alan Silva (aerialist)
- 4th place: Roberta Battaglia (singer)
- 3rd place: Cristina Ray (singer)
- 2nd place: Broken Roots (singing duo)
- 1st place: Brandon Leake (spoken word poet)
The reveal came down to Leake and the Broken Roots duo, ultimately awarding the powerful spoken-word performer a well-deserved win.
The AGT finale was also another primetime TV appearance for Duchess Meghan, who earlier this week spoke with husband Prince Harry on the TIME 100 special that aired on ABC. On the special, they delivered a message on the importance of voting — one that's since been criticized by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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