‘AGT’ Shocker: Peter Rosalita Sent Home After Minor Blunder

As the finals of this season’s America’s Got Talent inch closer and closer, we knew some shocking eliminations would have to take place — but not like this! Last night’s (September 1) episode sent a contestant packing that sent fans flying out of their seats: 10-year-old singer Peter Rosalita.

Host Terry Crews brought magician Dustin Tavella to the front of the stage with the child prodigy, ready to announce which act would be sent to the finals and which star would be heading home. When Crews announced that Tavella had made it through instead of AGT‘s golden boy, the magician even said, “I feel kind of bad.” He seemed to know that the judges favored Rosalita’s underdog story.

On Tuesday’s (Aug. 31) live performance episode, Rosalita took the stage to perform a stunning rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Without You.” But when he began singing, there was a slight issue: the crowd’s thundering noise boomed over the first chords of the song, far too loud for Rosalita to pick up on his entrance note. But instead of getting flustered or giving up, the youngster kindly asked to restart: “Hello? Wait, can you repeat please?”

And Rosalita wasn’t stressed in the slightest! He turned to the audience, giving them a killer smile and apologizing for the mix-up. After his performance — in which he nailed every dang note — the judges awarded him with a standing ovation. Like a true pro, Rosalita took every note with grace.

“The fact that you knew you’d miss the intro — you took control on a live show and went, ‘You know what, let’s start again,'” judge Simon Cowell said. “And I’m thinking, ‘Good for you.'”

Fellow judge Heidi Klum added: “That little hiccup in the very beginning, you’re so young, I probably would have run off the stage but you held it together. You started again. You sounded amazing.”

So when it was time for Rosalita to exit the show, folks were notably upset. Still, folks had kind words for the young singer as he faces the rest of his career in singing. “I’m crushed that you didn’t get into the finals!” one Twitter user wrote to Rosalita. “Sad very sad. Just keep singing and you will go far!”

America’s Got Talent‘s finale will air on Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and the finale results will air the next day on Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. ET. Watch Peter Rosalita’s full performance in the video above.

Where to watch America's Got Talent