Tom Sandoval Receives Standing Ovation From ‘America's Got Talent' Judges With Cover Band
The former Vanderpump Rules star and his cover band, Tom Sandoval and the Most Extras, auditioned for the brand-new episode of America's Got Talent on Tuesday night. The reality star performed a rendition of A-ha's 'Take On Me,' not before he explained that he was involved in an infamous cheating scandal (deemed Scandoval) that saw him become 'the most hated man in America.'
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'With being on a reality TV show, it's very much about your personal life. A couple years ago I was involved in a scandal and I was labeled as 'the most hated man in America' by [the] New York Times,' he told Simon Cowell. 'It was really really rough and I was in a very dark place. I felt as though I had nothing in my life and this band was the only thing that kept me going.'
After their act wrapped, all four judges (Cowell, Mel B, Sofía Vergara and Howie Mandel) praised the Most Extras' and gave the group a standing ovation. The former Spice Girl said that the performance 'made me smile,' while the Griselda actress said that 'you guys brought us joy tonight.'
Mendel sung praise directly toward the reality star, noting, 'Tom is a showman, he really takes this seriously … For me, it was great.' Cowell gave the harshest critiques, stating, 'For me, the vocals weren't great, Tom, I'm gonna be honest with you. However, not everyone comes on this show to get a record deal.' Still, all four judges dished out a 'Yes' their way, advancing the Most Extras to the next round of the competition.
The scandal in question saw Sandoval cheat on his long-time partner and Vanderpump Rules co-star, Ariana Madix, with their fellow co-star and close friend, Rachel Leviss. Sandoval and Leviss engaged in a months-long affair that caused a media frenzy in 2023, birthed the show's spin-off series The Valley and expanded Madix's career, which led her to compete on Dancing with the Stars, make her Broadway debut and take over as the host of Love Island USA.
Before hitting the AGT stage, he explained in an interview segment that he 'hope[s] the audience and the judges see who I am as a musician versus just somebody on a reality show.'
However, since it was announced that Vanderpump Rules was being rebooted with a brand-new cast for its 12th season, Sandoval hasn't been able to stay away from reality TV. He appeared on season three of The Traitors, was recently cast in the upcoming season of House of Villains and has now auditioned for season 20 of AGT. Plus, shortly after the scandal, Sandoval went on season two of Special Forces and season 10 of The Masked Singer.
It's no coincidence that Sandoval and his band are now appearing on NBC's talent-based competition show, as Vanderpump Rules' parent network, Bravo, is owned by NBC. Coincidentally, too, the former reality TV star notably did his first podcast interview post-Scandoval with Mandel.
'It means so much to me to like see all these people from different places that come together and were happy and cheering for us, and rooting for us,' Sandoval said at the end of the segment. 'That means so much to me.'
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