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Perth Now
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Tom Sandovall stung by Simon Cowell's feedback
Tom Sandoval took Simon Cowell's criticism "to heart" on America's Got Talent. The reality TV star and his band, Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras, appear on the 20th season of the talent show, and Tom has admitted to feeling stung by Simon's criticism of his performance of Take On Me by a-ha. Tom told TODAY: "I could always be improving." Tom's performance actually received glowing feedback from all of the other judges, except Simon. The music mogul said at the time: "For me, the vocals weren't great, Tom. I'm going to be honest with you. "However, not everyone comes on this show to get a record deal. Sometimes, it's about being true to who you are." Despite this, Tom still loves singing Take On Me . He explained: "I remember when we first performed that song a couple of years back, we had to do it a half step lower, but eventually, I got comfortable enough with it where we put it back into its original key. "And to me, that song means a lot because it has history. I have an emotional connection to it, so being able to hit that high note was an example of overcoming a huge hurdle for me." Tom is refusing to get carried away on the show, insisting he won't look too far ahead. The TV star said: "We're just taking it one performance at a time. "I mean, there's still a long way to go with so many incredibly talented acts going up there. So to me, like I said before, winning it seems so far off to me." Tom previously acknowledged that he has a "slim" chance of winning America's Got Talent. Asked what winning the TV talent show would mean to him, Tom told E! News: "That would be crazy. "That would be so amazing. Obviously, there's such a slim chance because of so many great acts out there, but I would obviously be so happy for the band and for myself." Tom also admitted to feeling particularly nervous about Simon's feedback. Tom said: "He's a legend. I mean they all are, but he definitely has his reputation of being brutally honest."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Sandoval feared America's Got Talent appearance was ‘setting myself up to get trolled'
Tom Sandoval knew what was coming. After the 43-year-old reality star appeared on America's Got Talent in June, many viewers were vocally critical not just of his performance but of his apparent attempts to 'rehab' his tainted image. In 2024, he had been dubbed the 'most hated man in America' after it emerged during season 10 of Vanderpump Rules that he cheated on longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with her then-best friend, Rachel Leviss. Both the cast and fans of the hit Bravo show rallied around Madix amid the infidelity scandal, dubbed 'Scandoval,' while Sandoval was pilloried. When he was first approached about auditioning for AGT, Sandoval suspected he'd be in for more of the same. 'It was something that my buddy Jason had brought to my attention,' Sandoval tells The Independent. 'I immediately did not want to do it. I felt like it would create a lot of negative backlash, setting myself up to get trolled.' Speaking while visiting family in St. Louis, Missouri, Sandoval reveals he was also worried about the sheer terror of being on the AGT stage in front of judges like Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel. Ultimately, though, he says he decided to do it for the sake of his band. 'They were with me through one of the hardest times in my life,' he says. 'And to go to them and say, 'Hey, I don't want to do it 'cause I'm worried about backlash' — It would have broken my heart to do that. So I was like, you know what? These guys have been there for me, and I want to do this for them and for us.' Sandoval and his band, The Most Extras, performed A-ha's 'Take on Me' during the first round of auditions and ended up receiving four 'yes' votes from the judges. The audience danced along, many with mouths agape, trying to reconcile that in front of them was the same man they watched for over a decade on Vanderpump Rules. While Bravo is an undeniable part of his history, Sandoval says he's keen to move on from it. On August 19, the second round of AGT auditions begins on NBC, and he's brimming with excitement about taking the stage once more. The Traitors star traces his musical journey back to his childhood, when he began playing trumpet in the fourth grade. He joined a marching band before quitting sports to appear in a production of the cult favorite musical Little Shop of Horrors. More recently, he taught himself to play guitar and is now taking voice lessons as he fronts a band for the first time. He's been in bands before, but they never worked out. 'It was always original music,' he says. 'I would put so much time, so much passion and money and effort into getting this band to the next level, and then it would fall apart. It was just so heartbreaking that I didn't play music for quite a while.' Eventually, he found his way to The Most Extras, a nine-person covers band, but he isn't ruling out a return to creating original music again. Vanderpump Rules fans might remember 'Touch in Public', the 2015 single from Charles McMansion, a duo Sandoval formed with the late actor Isaac Kappy. For now, though, he is leaning into the joys of appealing to a broad audience with songs everyone can sing along to. He says he has 'learned some hard lessons' during his time touring with his new bandmates, recalling their van getting stuck in the mud during their first tour and needing to be hauled out by a stranger, lugging equipment up multiple flights of stairs to get to a rehearsal room in New York, and the ceiling falling during another small gig. After their AGT debut, Simon Cowell told them, 'Not everyone comes on this show to get a record deal. Sometimes it's about being true to who you are.' Sandoval echoes that sentiment during our conversation. 'I feel like this is something that really is true to me,' he explains. 'It's something I love. Music has always been in my life. My dad was a DJ, and I grew up listening to great music. It just really inspired me.' When we spoke, Sandoval had not yet decided which song his band would perform during the second round of auditions. He did say that he'd been attending vocal lessons and was eager to come 'full circle in another talent show; a much, much bigger one in fact, the biggest stage we've ever been on.' Regardless of the outcome on AGT, Sandoval is looking ahead to the band's fall tour. 'I'm so grateful to be able to do something like this, to be out there, to have my band be able to be on a big stage like that,' he says. 'I'm just excited for what's to come.'
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fans divided as Tom Sandoval tries to rebrand himself as a musician on America's Got Talent with some leaving scathing remarks
Fans tuning into NBC's America's Got Talent were quite stunned to see reality TV villain Tom Sandoval auditioning as a musician. The 42-year-old Vanderpump Rules star mentioned that he was once referred to by The New York Times as ' the most hated man in America, ' after his cheating scandal. While he has continued to appear on reality shows like The Masked Singer and most recently The Traitors, now he's trying to rebrand as a musician. He appeared on Tuesday's episode of AGT with his band dubbed The Most Extras, which he is hoping to turn into the 'ultimate cover band.' He took to the stage to perform the 1985 A-ha classic Take On Me, and while the crowd was clearly apprehensive at first, his stage presence seemed to win them over. Sandoval even managed to win the judges over, as he was voted on to the next round, a decision that was clearly quite divisive on social media While he has continued to appear on reality shows like The Masked Singer and most recently The Traitors , now he's trying to rebrand as a musician. Before he took the stage, a staffer approached judge Simon Cowell, asking if he knew who Tom Sandoval was, and he said he did, since his former boss Lisa Vanderpump is his 'old friend.' Sandoval said in confession, 'A couple years ago, I made some really bad choices and was involved in a very bad cheating scandal. And I let down a lot of people. It pretty much destroyed my life. It's absurd how much coverage and how big it became.' 'Ever since then, it's like everything that I do is completely criticized. I feel a lot of pressure. I just hope the audience and the judges see who I am as a musician, versus just somebody on a reality show,' Sandoval said. He got tepid applause in his opening segment, adding he was in a 'very very dark place,' but his band was, 'the only thing that kept me going.' When asked if music is what he wanted to do from now on, Sandoval said, 'Yes. I would love nothing more for us to tour the world, like just be the ultimate cover band, party band,' as he said his girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson and his old friend Tom Schwartz were in the audience to support him. Before the performance, judge Howie Mandel explained to fellow judge Sofia Vergara that he's so hated because, 'he slept with his girlfriend's best friend.' While the performance didn't seem to impress the crowd or the judges much at first, he ultimately brought the crowd to its feet after hitting a surprisingly high note. The judges were impressed, though Simon Cowell admitted, 'the vocals weren't great,' as the crowd started to boo, as Simon added, 'Not everyone comes on this show to get a record deal. Sometimes it's about being true to who you are.' He got tepid applause in his opening segment, adding he was in a 'very very dark place,' but his band was, 'the only thing that kept me going' Mel B and Sofia Vergara both gave the band yesses, and Simon Cowell did as well, albeit reluctantly, putting Sandoval and his band through to the next round, a decision that was praised by some fans and blasted by others. One X user dubbed @AGTCommenter said, 'This is an odd prop-up job by the show. What are they gaining from trying to rehab Tom Sandoval's image for him? Sounds like he is kind of a top notch scumbag. I'm not a pearl clutcher but this seems like an unnecessary hill for the show to be on right now.' Jordan @JordanLR7 added, '#AGT Already said what I had to say about Tom Sandoval a few days ago but this needs to be added. He's a cheater. That is an awful sob story to go with for this show. Turning your bad decisions into a sob story is head scratching. And apparently he's a MILLIONAIRE. Why is he here.' Others were impressed with Sandoval's musical stylings, such as @Samfree92, who said, 'Tom Sandoval was great on America got talent.' Another fan - @PaulBacon30 - added, 'Tom Sandoval & The Next Extras SHOULD have got the #GoldenBuzzer because it was the best act in Week 5 of the auditions.' Carol (@catitcomb) insisted, 'Tom Sandoval is a complete IDIOT Evil & no one will vote for you Mr. Cheater. We hated you on PumpRules & we still hate you.' X user @Hibiscus_2500 added, 'Oh Tom Sandoval we didn't forget dummy #agt #vanderpumprules.' Dorcha (@dorcharibhinn) added, 'He was better than I thought he would be. But he won't win. Tom Sandoval #AGT #TomSandoval.' One X user dubbed @AGTCommenter said, 'This is an odd prop-up job by the show. What are they gaining from trying to rehab Tom Sandoval's image for him? Sounds like he is kind of a top notch scumbag. I'm not a pearl clutcher but this seems like an unnecessary hill for the show to be on right now' Jordan @JordanLR7 added, '#AGT Already said what I had to say about Tom Sandoval a few days ago but this needs to be added. He's a cheater. That is an awful sob story to go with for this show. Turning your bad decisions into a sob story is head scratching. And apparently he's a MILLIONAIRE. Why is he here' Another fan - @PaulBacon30 - added, 'Tom Sandoval & The Next Extras SHOULD have got the #GoldenBuzzer because it was the best act in Week 5 of the auditions.' Carol (@catitcomb) insisted, 'Tom Sandoval is a complete IDIOT Evil & no one will vote for you Mr. Cheater. We hated you on PumpRules & we still hate you.' Jacqueline DeClerg (@JaxDeClerg) tweeted, 'Not Tom Sandoval trying to rebrand on America's Got Talent.' Still, others were livid, like @dreaontime, who said, 'Tom Sandoval was terrible on #AGT. Turned it off and not watching anymore. This show is a joke.' Samantha W (@swasser85) even tagged Bravo's Andy Cohen, adding, '@Andy you watching @AGT? Tom Sandoval is on! I feel awful about how everyone talked about him. It was cruel. Maybe @BravoWWHL shouldn't have fostered it. @TomSandoval1.' Jacqueline DeClerg (@JaxDeClerg) tweeted, 'Not Tom Sandoval trying to rebrand on America's Got Talent.' ShimBo84 (@ShimBo84) added, 'I don't care who the hell Tom Sandoval is, his act on #AGT wasn't good. He has the 'looks,' but his voice isn't great & the act wasn't good. Who agrees? Clearly he's a SOME1 since they're making a big deal about him & want everyone to like the act… but pass. #AmericasGotTalent.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
AGT Shocker: Vanderpump Rules Star Tom Sandoval Auditions for Season 20 — and He's Actually Good! Watch Video
Just when we thought we'd seen it all on America's Got Talent, along comes… Tom Sandoval. That's right, the disgraced former cast member of Bravo's Vanderpump Rules appeared as a contestant in Tuesday's episode, auditioning along with his band, Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras. More from TVLine In Survival Mode, Everyday People Revisit Extraordinary Disasters - Get NBC Premiere Date, First Teaser Melissa Rauch Opens Up About Night Court Cancellation as Revival Fails to Find New Home: I Was in 'Straight-Up Denial' AGT Twist: Terry Crews Steals One of Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzers in Week 4 ('You Snooze You Lose!') 'A couple of years ago, I made some really bad choices and was involved in a very bad cheating scandal, and I let down a lot of people,' Sandoval told the cameras backstage. 'It pretty much destroyed my life. It was absurd how much coverage [it got] and how big it became. Ever since then, it's like everything that I do is completely criticized. I feel a lot of pressure. I just hope the audience and the judges see who I am as a musician versus just somebody on a reality show.' Several audience members were visibly shocked when Sandoval appeared on stage, but not Simon Cowell (aka Lisa Vanderpump's old pal), who was briefed ahead of his audition. Sandoval's voice began to waver as he reintroduced himself to the crowd, specifically citing when The New York Times labeled him 'the most hated man in America.' 'It was really rough, and I was in a very dark place,' Sandoval said. 'I felt as though I had nothing in my life, and this band was the only thing that kept me going.' With his buddy Tom Schwartz and girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson in the audience cheering them on, Sandoval and his band dove into a falsetto-tastic performance of A-ha's 'Take On Me.' Mel B was the group's biggest fan ('You made me smile! You gave me happy vibes!'), but all four judges were on their feet by the end of the audition. Sofia Vergara seconded the 'joy' she felt from the performance, adding that Sandoval 'looked amazing up there.' Howie Mandel also praised Sandoval as a 'showman.' Cowell, predictably, turned out to be Sandoval's toughest critic. 'The vocals weren't great,' he said, eliciting boos from the audience. 'However, not everyone comes on this show to get a record deal. Sometimes it's about being true to who you are.' And with that, the group received four yeses. Of course, Sandoval wasn't the only contestant who received good news on Tuesday. Following his audition, viewers were introduced to Duo Stardust, an extreme roller skating duo from the Ukraine who previously made it to the semifinals of Britain's Got Talent in 2024. Hoping for better luck in America, the pair auditioned for AGT with a jaw-dropping, gravity-defying routine — and they left with a coveted Golden Buzzer, courtesy of Sofia Vergara. Watch their full audition below: VIDEO What did you think of Sandoval's audition? And did Duo Stardust deserve a Golden Buzzer? Drop a comment with your thoughts on Week 5 of Season 20 auditions below. Best of TVLine Mrs. Maisel Flash-Forward List: All of Season 5's Futuristic Easter Eggs Yellowjackets Recap: The Morning After Yellowjackets Recap: The First Supper
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Sandoval's Really Trying to Make His Music Career Happen With ‘America's Got Talent' Audition
Tom Sandoval is showing off his vocal skills on TV once again — this time with his band The Most Extras. The former Vanderpump Rules star — who recently boasted about his musical abilities on season three of Peacock's The Traitors (see the episode featuring the creepy singing dolls) — is set to appear on the Tuesday (June 24) episode of NBC's America's Got Talent, and the network has released an early look at the group's audition. 'Couple years ago, I made some really bad choices and was involved in a very bad cheating scandal, and I let down a lot of people. It pretty much destroyed my life. It was absurd how much coverage and how big it became,' the reality TV star shared in his intro, referencing 'Scandoval,' which broke in May 2023. Sandoval had been caught by Ariana Madix, his then girlfriend of nearly 10 years, cheating with one of her closest friends and their VPR castmate Raquel (now Rachel) Leviss. 'I just hope the audience and the judges see who I am as a musician.' More from Billboard 'Vanderpump Rules' Star Scheana Shay Reveals How Taylor Swift Inspired Her Upcoming EP This $20 Karaoke Machine Is Great for Carpool Karaoke & More: Here's Where You Can Buy It NBA Finals 2025 Livestream: Here's How to Watch Pacers vs. Thunder Game Online for Free When judge Simon Cowell — who is a friend of the reality show's namesake, Lisa Vanderpump — asked why he wanted to make the transition to music, Sandoval pointed out that he had been labeled 'the most hated man in America' by The New York Times, and was now seeking to correct the course of his wrecked life. 'It was really, really rough, and I was in a very, very dark place. I felt as though I had nothing in my life, and this band was the only thing that kept me going,' he said of the aftermath, as best friend and VPR star Tom Schwartz, along with Sandoval's girlfriend, Victoria, cheered him on from the audience. 'I would love … to be just, like, the ultimate cover band.' As Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras prepared to begin their performance, the judges chatted amongst themselves, with Howie Mandel explaining to Sofia Vergara who Sandoval was. 'He slept with his girlfriend's best friend,' he told her, with Mel B chiming in, 'No wonder nobody likes him, then!' To that, the acerbic Cowell declared, 'Do you know how NOT interested I am in any of that stuff?' And with that, Sandoval — in one of his signature sequined jackets (though not with the matching green pants Madix once advised him not to wear, nor the white manicure or 'worm' of a mustache that made him the butt of many jokes) — took the stage with his band to deliver their cover of a-ha's Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 'Take on Me.' Though the now-broken penis flute did not make an appearance, Sandoval did show off some moves that fans of VPR who've seen him perform with The Most Extras on and off the Bravo hit. But will Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras win the AGT judges' approval? Watch the competition show Tuesday at 8 p.m. on NBC, or stream it on Peacock to see. Best of Billboard Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles 14 Things That Changed (or Didn't) at Farm Aid 2021
