The Next Adele? America's Got Talent's Mandy Harvey Responds to Simon Cowell's High Praise

Simon Cowell sounds off on two of the NBC reality show's inspiring acts

By Chris Harnick Sep 13, 2017 4:01 PMTags
Watch: Simon Cowell Talks Comparing Mandy Harvey to Adele

Singers ruled the America's Got Talent stage during the Tuesday, Sept. 12 show. Kechi moved the judges, including Mel B, to tears and Mandy Harvey received high praise from Simon Cowell when he compared her to Adele after she sang an original song.

"I think other people were thinking that," Cowell told E! News after the show. "I had a feeling they're probably thinking what I thought that it reminds me or it reminds them of the first time you heard Adele."

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Cowell said the taped package before Harvey's performance was "unbelievable."

Harvey, who lost her hearing at age 19, said she's not sure what Cowell meant with that compliment. Cowell previously gave Harvey the Golden Buzzer during auditions.

"I've never heard her voice, but I follow her career," she said. "It's hard not to. It's such an incredible honor to even be mentioned in that same sentence."

Watch: Simon Cowell Moved by Kechi Okwuchi's Semifinals Performance

Meanwhile, Kechi, who survived a plane crash in 2005, stirred the audience and judges with a performance of "Don't Worry About Me." Cowell told us he watched Kechi's mother, who was sitting in the audience.

"You have no idea what they went through. The fact that she was still standing there and was still thinking about the song…it was unbelievable," Cowell said.

Kechi told us she left everything on the stage.

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"The feeling I have is just—I did my best," she said. "Now it's in America's hands."

America's Got Talent airs Tuesday and Wednesday, 8 p.m. on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)