As America’s Got Talent enters its Live Shows, longtime judge Howie Mandel admits this season has left him less certain than usual about which contestant could ultimately claim the $1 million prize.

Mandel, who has served on the AGT judging panel since 2010, says he normally has a strong prediction by this stage of the competition. This year, however, several contestants have made the outcome particularly difficult to call.

Howie Mandel Is Unsure About This Season’s Winner

The Season 21 Live Shows begin Tuesday, with the competition narrowing to the top 44 acts. From this point forward, contestants will perform live as they compete for viewers’ votes and the chance to advance toward the finale.

Speaking ahead of the first Live Show, Mandel said he usually has a fairly accurate idea of who could win by this stage.

I usually, at this point, have a clear idea of who I believe is gonna win, Mandel said, noting that his batting average has been about 80 percent. But this time, there are a couple of people that are just way out there.

With singers, magicians, aerialists, comedians and other performers still in contention, the judge believes the competition is unusually open.

Mandel also emphasized that he is genuinely rooting for all of the remaining contestants. Still, as a stand-up comedian himself, he naturally has a particular interest in the comedians still competing.

Among them are Cris Sosa and Daniel Alvarez, along with comedic singer Cesar Dias.

Well, there’s nobody that I’m not pulling for, Mandel said. Personally, I would like a comedian to do very well. I just believe, you know, that’s what I do and who I am.

Nene Royal Has Already Made a Major Impression

While Mandel remains undecided about the eventual winner, he singled out Nene Royal as one contestant who has quickly established herself as a major force in the competition.

The young artist has impressed both the judges and viewers during her appearances on the show, including the Callbacks. Mandel pointed to the enormous online response surrounding her performances as evidence of her growing popularity.

He noted that Nene Royal had already accumulated more than 40 million global clicks within the first night of her Callbacks appearance.

Another act Mandel remains particularly excited about is Hundred Fingers, the magic group to whom he awarded a Golden Buzzer.

The judge praised the group for presenting magic in a way he said he had never seen before, making them one of the acts he believes could potentially go far in the competition.

The Live Shows Will Put Contestants Under New Pressure

With the Live Shows now beginning, Mandel believes the remaining 44 acts face a very different challenge from the earlier stages of AGT.

The judges have helped select the performers who reached this point, but the decision will increasingly belong to viewers at home. Mandel said he trusts the audience to make the right choices as the competition progresses.

He compared the experience to being a parent watching a recital, explaining that the judges have supported every act they chose to advance because they believe each contestant has the ability to win.

However, reaching the Live Shows brings an entirely new level of pressure. Contestants must now perform in front of a large audience, deal with the nerves of live television and compete directly against some of the strongest acts of the season.

For Mandel, that combination makes Season 21 particularly difficult to predict.

America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and streams the following day on Peacock.

Source: Compiled from various sources