Tom Sandoval stuns ‘America’s Got Talent’ judges with unexpected audition

According to America’s Got Talent, redemption is one buzzer away for Tom Sandoval. Sandoval of the Vanderpump Rules show surprised judges and viewers as he auditioned for the reality competition series.

For those unversed, Tom Sandoval was involved in a highly publicised cheating scandal in 2023 with longtime Ariana Madix and Vanderpump Rules co-star Rachel Leviss. The musician/ reality TV star has taken steps to rebuild his reputation and music career by reuniting with his former close friend Tom Schwartz and showcasing his singing talent on AGT.

The show organisers shared an Instagram clip on June 20, 2025, with a caption that seems to agree with Sandoval’s rebrand. It reads:

“Redemption is one buzzer away!”

In the clip, Tom Sandoval appears on the AGT stage and introduces himself as The Most Hated Man in America, a nod to the New York Times article about him.

"My name is Tom Sandoval, I was the most hated man in America,” he says as newspaper clippings of the scandal are shown on screen.

Sandoval then adds:

“This is the chance to show who I am as a musician."

“I let down a lot of people, and it very much destroyed my life,” Tom Sandoval says as he auditions at America’s Got Talent

The Traitors alum auditioned alongside his band members Jason Bader, Colin Deas, Kevin Stiphen, Mia Davitt, Macrae Eckelberry, Caspar Madaus, Max Bergmanis and Maddi Fraser. In a YouTube preview of the reality star’s episode on the talent show, Sandoval dressed in a glittering jacket and black pants, spoke about his cheating scandal and how it has sharpened the public’s perception of him:

“A couple of years ago, I made some very bad choices, and I was involved in a cheating scandal. I let down a lot of people. It pretty much destroyed my life. It was absurd how much coverage and how big it became.”

He added:

“Ever since then, everything 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 performed A-ha’s Take On Me to the excitement of the audience. Judges Sofia Vergara and Mel B seemed sceptical at the beginning of the performance, while the audience, impressed by his high notes and stage presence, gave him a standing ovation.

Simon Cowell, who didn’t look too happy to see Sandoval initially, smiled as the latter belted out melodious tunes on stage.

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Tune in to NBC on June 24, 2025, to find out if Sandoval gets four "yeses" from Simon Cowell, Mel B, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel.

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