Howie Mandel uses his golden buzzer to send Madison “Maddie” Taylor Baez straight to the live show in America’s Got Talent Season 17 Episode 2 tryouts. Maddie is a singer and actor who is 11 years old. She played Young Selena Quintanilla in Netflix’s Selena: The Series. She also stars in a new Showtime series called Let The Right One In, according to her Instagram. At numerous big league sporting events, the emerging Latinx sensation sung the National Anthem. In 2021, she competed on the Fox game program Game of Talents.

Terry Crews had met Madison “Maddie” Taylor Baez just before the auditions were taped. To check if the judges would notice her, he placed her in the audience. The crew then staged a sing-off during a commercial break, inviting audience members to participate. When Maddie sang out “Amazing Grace,” she drew the judges’ attention.

Madison Taylor’s performance stood out among the other acts seen during the America’s Got Talent Season 17 filming, according to one audience member. The audience member believed she was a legitimate participant in the “sing-off,” which occurs frequently between shows.
“Simon and a producer walked over to her and her father to acquire approval before she could ‘join’ the competition and perform on stage,” the Redditor claimed. “It took a long time, like 20 minutes, between her being in the audience and her performing on stage.” I also noticed a producer going over paperwork with her and her father in the theater lobby just after the golden buzzer.”

Maddie was called to take the platform and was asked a few questions. The young girl then performed to the delight of the judges. As Simon Cowell and Howie spoke to her, she sobbed. She then said that her father is suffering from stage 4 colon cancer. “Golden Buzzer,” the audience chanted, and Howie hit the buzzer, showering gold confetti on Maddie.

Despite Terry Crews’ explanation that Maddie was covertly placed in the crowd, it appears that they were just as stunned and shocked as the judges.