His act involved secretly taking prized possessions from judges Mel B, Sofía Vergara, and Howie Mandel before appearing to smash them with a hammer. Moments later, the valuables were revealed to be completely unharmed.
Mandel’s mobile phone was found inside a locked box that had been in front of the judges throughout the performance. The phone then received text messages from Mawhinney revealing the locations of the other missing items. Vergara’s framed photo of her dog was hidden inside her seat cushion, while Mel B’s bracelet was concealed inside one of the show’s famous red buzzers.
“I don’t know how you do it. I believe in magic, but I loved it,” Mel B said as she voted yes.
Vergara also praised the performance, calling the magic “very impressive” and adding, “I don’t know if this was necessary, but it was very exciting.”
Howie Mandel complimented Mawhinney’s stage presence but voted no, saying the act was “too slow.”
Simon Cowell agreed the performance was lengthy but said, “Our audience love magic, which is exactly the reason I’m going to say yes.”
With three yes votes, Mawhinney progressed to the next round.
Speaking after the audition, Mawhinney admitted the performance was “the scariest experience” of his life.
“When I entered the judges’ dressing rooms, I didn’t know what I would end up with,” he said. “Normally, I never borrow people’s valuables, especially phones or jewellery, but this was America’s Got Talent. I felt I had to do something extraordinary.”
Mawhinney revealed that producers had invited him to audition since 2020, but he had always declined because it seemed like “a massive risk.”
After leaving Blue Peter earlier this year to focus full-time on his magic career, he decided it was the right moment to take the chance.
“I thought I might as well kick everything off with something a bit extreme.”
The Bangor, County Down native joined Blue Peter in 2018 and became the programme’s 41st presenter. He left after more than three and a half years to pursue professional magic.
Reflecting on the experience, he credited his years of live television presenting for helping him handle the pressure.
“I’m really glad I did it, but it’s the most nervous I’ve been in a long time because you’re putting yourself in a massively risky position.”
