‘America’s Got Talent’ 12: Puddles Pity Party Gets Simon Cowell’s Red Buzzer

“America’s Got Talent” Season 12 recently saw Puddles Pity Party perform in the first live show.

During his audition, the sad clown impressed all four judges when he belted out Sia’s hit song, “Chandelier.” After receiving a standing ovation from judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel, Puddles became emotional and cried tears of joy.

The same thing happened when Puddles performed in the judge cuts round in front of guest judge DJ Khaled. Puddles received five yeses from the judges, which made him one of the seven contestants to make it through to the live shows. After singing “All By Myself,” music producer Khaled praised Puddles’ artistry and told him that he should start feeling happy because he’s really talented.

Unfortunately, the clown’s third performance in “America’s Got Talent” Season 12 did not top his two previous song numbers. On Tuesday night, Puddles sang Lorde’s hit song, “Royals,” but apparently Cowell was not impressed and gave him the red buzzer. The judge criticized Puddles’ performance afterward, saying that the clown did not bring anything new to the table.

After finishing his song, Puddles immediately took his props and went backstage. “America’s Got Talent” host Tyra Banks called him a few times before he walked back to the stage to hear the judges’ critics. According to Cowell, he just couldn’t get into the clown’s world on Tuesday night and did not understand what was going on.

Puddles, who is known for his sad face, looked flustered upon hearing Cowell’s comments. But Mandel did not second his fellow judge’s opinion. According to the funnyman, he loves Puddles and feels a strong connection with him. “I love you. You’re unique, you’re interesting, you’re different, people are gonna remember and hopefully they’ll vote for you,” he said.

The judges also had a heated argument about Puddles when Klum said that she prefers seeing a happy clown. Mel B defended the contestant by saying that being a sad clown is part of his character.

On Wednesday, at least one contestant will be sent home. Will Puddles Pity Party be one of them? Find out when the first “America’s Got Talent” Season 12 live elimination airs on Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. EDT on NBC.