When Jessica Sanchez walked back onto the America’s Got Talent stage in 2025, it wasn’t as an unknown hopeful — it was as someone coming home. Two decades earlier, she’d been a 10-year-old semifinalist on AGT’s very first season. Since then she’d lived a whole life: American Idol runner-up, tours, releases… and then, slowly, she drifted away from music, worn down by expectations and industry pressure.
In her pre-audition interview, Jessica admitted she had even fallen out of love with singing for a while. Now almost 30, married and expecting her first child, she said she finally knew who she was and what she wanted — and that this return to AGT was about reclaiming her voice on her own terms.
Her song choice, “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone, turned the moment into something electric. From the first line, her tone was rich, controlled and emotional, building into huge, soaring notes that had the crowd roaring and all four judges on their feet. Simon Cowell, Mel B and Howie Mandel looked stunned; Sofía Vergara visibly teared up as Jessica poured years of doubt, growth and gratitude into every word.
When the final note faded, Sofía didn’t hesitate. Calling it one of the most special moments of AGT’s 20th season, she slammed the Golden Buzzer, sending Jessica straight through as gold confetti rained down and the audience erupted. For fans in the U.S. and the Philippines alike, it was a full-circle triumph: the little girl from season 1 returning as a grown woman, an expectant mom, and now a Golden Buzzer star.
