{"id":355287,"date":"2026-08-16T02:28:18","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T07:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/howie-mandel-admits-he-goes-easier-on-agt-comedians-as-cris-sosa-reveals-the-advice-he-got"},"modified":"2026-08-16T02:28:23","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T07:28:23","slug":"howie-mandel-admits-he-goes-easier-on-agt-comedians-as-cris-sosa-reveals-the-advice-he-got","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/howie-mandel-admits-he-goes-easier-on-agt-comedians-as-cris-sosa-reveals-the-advice-he-got","title":{"rendered":"Howie Mandel Admits He Goes Simpler on \u2018AGT\u2019 Comedians as Cris Sosa Reveals the Recommendation He Acquired"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"text\">\n<p>Howie Mandel has admitted that one type of <em>America\u2019s Got Talent<\/em> contestant gets a little more understanding from him at the judges\u2019 table, comedians.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking with <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/howie-mandel-goes-easier-on-this-americas-got-talent-act-12060416\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Entertainment Weekly<\/a> ahead of Season 21\u2019s live shows, Mandel said he is \u201cabsolutely\u201d easier on comedians than other performers and even more forgiving than the audience can be. As a longtime stand-up himself, he knows a comic walking onstage with only jokes can look understated beside an act flying through the air or performing a dangerous stunt.<\/p>\n<p>One of the comedians now heading into the live competition is Cris Sosa, who recently revealed that Mandel had already given him very specific advice during the Judges\u2019 Callbacks process. Sosa told <a href=\"https:\/\/parade.com\/tv\/americas-got-talent-season-21-2026-cris-sosa-howie-mandel-advice-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Parade<\/a> that Mandel urged him to \u201cbe memorable\u201d and give viewers one moment they would still be talking about after his performance ended.<\/p>\n<p>Sosa ultimately survived Mandel\u2019s callback round and advanced to the live shows alongside fellow comedian Daniel Alvarez. They are the two stand-up acts among the 44 contestants selected to continue competing for the $1 million prize.<\/p>\n<h2>Mandel Says Comedy Has a Disadvantage Against Spectacle<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/howie-mandel-admits-he-goes-easier-on-agt-comedians-as-cris-sosa-reveals-the-advice-he-got\/about:blank\" width=\"267\" height=\"476\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F926846299764146%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F926846299764146%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0\" width=\"267\" height=\"476\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Mandel explained that an <em>AGT<\/em> comedian can immediately follow a visually enormous performance involving acrobatics, fire or other stage effects. A stand-up then has to win over the same room simply by talking and generating laughs throughout a short set. \u201cAbsolutely. And easier on comedians than the actual audience,\u201d Mandel said when asked whether he judges comics more leniently.<\/p>\n<p>For him, part of the challenge is the immediate feedback built into stand-up. A singer, magician or stunt performer can finish an act before waiting for the room\u2019s reaction, but a comedian becomes aware almost immediately when jokes are not landing. \u201cIt\u2019s a harder job. It really is a harder job to be a comedian,\u201d Mandel told EW.<\/p>\n<p>His sympathy comes from experience. Mandel continues to perform stand-up himself, doing as many as 200 shows annually, and said that background gives him a particular appreciation for the preparation and vulnerability involved when comedians compete.<\/p>\n<h2>Sosa Asked Mandel How to Make Himself Unforgettable<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/howie-mandel-admits-he-goes-easier-on-agt-comedians-as-cris-sosa-reveals-the-advice-he-got\/about:blank\" width=\"500\" height=\"689\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-rocket-lazyload=\"fitvidscompatible\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fagtauditions%2Fposts%2Fpfbid08jagTvbMhj9LWcqXPocD9JVnLKYiQyAGMrDEhGkQinLXRq3D9W1Y1eB8dNzFZT4Kl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none; overflow: hidden;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fagtauditions%2Fposts%2Fpfbid08jagTvbMhj9LWcqXPocD9JVnLKYiQyAGMrDEhGkQinLXRq3D9W1Y1eB8dNzFZT4Kl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"689\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Sosa had already sought Mandel\u2019s advice before earning his place in the live shows. After 13 years of trying to break through in comedy, he asked the judge what he needed to do to separate himself from the other performers during the callback round. Mandel\u2019s answer was straightforward: \u201cBe memorable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sosa told Parade that Mandel encouraged him to find a \u201cwow factor\u201d\u00a0 a joke, bit or particular moment that would remain in viewers\u2019 minds after he left the stage.\u00a0He identified physicality as one of his strengths and said he planned to lean harder into his act-outs rather than relying entirely on spoken material.<\/p>\n<p>He has also been putting in the repetitions away from television. Sosa said he sometimes performs three to five club shows in a single night while testing established material, adding new tags and trying to sharpen the jokes he could eventually use on the live broadcast.<\/p>\n<h2>The Laugh Factory Callback Put Sosa in Front of Two Comedians<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cris Sosa&#039;s Comedy Has The Crowd LAUGHING | Judges&#039; Callbacks | AGT 2026\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QbuP5TlWeMM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mandel\u2019s Judges\u2019 Callbacks took Sosa to Los Angeles\u2019 Laugh Factory, where Nikki Glaser joined Mandel as a guest judge for the group. For Sosa, performing there carried extra significance because of the comedians who have appeared on the club\u2019s stage over the years.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed to names including Dave Chappelle, Jamie Foxx and George Lopez while describing the opportunity to Parade. Mandel ultimately selected four acts from his callback group to advance: Sosa, Alvarez, Nene Royal and Bird &amp; Byron The result meant both comedians survived a round judged by one of the show\u2019s longtime comedy voices.<\/p>\n<h2>Sosa\u2019s \u2018AGT\u2019 Appearance Has Already Changed His Audience<\/h2>\n<p><noscript><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cris Sosa Full Performance | America&#039;s Got Talent 2026 S21E03\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LDXu8rE5VJk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sosa also says the effect of <em>AGT<\/em> has extended well beyond the competition itself. He told Parade that after his audition aired, he gained approximately 60,000 social-media followers, moving from around 70,000 to more than 130,000. He also became verified and began receiving messages from new fans discovering his comedy through the show.<\/p>\n<p>He told Parade that he has supported himself through photography, graphic design, web design and extra work while trying for more than a decade to establish comedy as his full-time career. \u00a0Sosa said one of his reasons for entering <em>AGT<\/em> was to put his comedy in front of enough people that he could eventually make his living from performing.<\/p>\n<p>He would also be attempting something no stand-up has yet accomplished on the main <em>America\u2019s Got Talent<\/em> series, winning the season.<\/p>\n<h2>His Boxing-Coach Dad Plans to Be in His Corner<\/h2>\n<p>There is another person Sosa expects to have with him when he takes the live-show stage, his father. Sosa said his dad could not attend his original audition but planned to be there if he reached the live shows. He has now done exactly that.<\/p>\n<p>Sosa\u2019s father is also his boxing coach. Sosa told Parade that having him physically present would mean having the person who has trained him in his corner during one of the biggest performances of his career. NBC\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbc.com\/nbc-insider\/agt-season-21-top-44-acts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Top 44 lineup<\/a> confirms Sosa and Alvarez among the acts moving into the portion of the competition where viewers begin determining who advances.<\/p>\n<p>Season 21\u2019s live shows begin Aug. 18, with the 44 acts spread across four quarterfinal performance episodes. Results shows air Wednesdays, and episodes stream the following day on Peacock. The quarterfinals continue through Sept. 8, followed by semifinals on Sept. 15 and 16 and the season\u2019s finale and results show on Sept. 22 and 23.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/wealthofgeeks.com\/howie-mandel-admits-he-goes-easier-on-agt-comedians-as-cris-sosa-reveals-the-advice-he-got\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Howie Mandel has admitted that one type of America\u2019s Got Talent contestant gets a little more understanding from him at the judges\u2019 table, comedians. Speaking [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":355290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4557],"tags":[502,9490,31675,31678,31677,24441,25426,31679,31676,8823,6381],"class_list":["post-355287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marketing","tag-america","tag-chortle-manufacturing","tag-chortle-manufacturing-facility-callback-put-sosa","tag-cris-sosa","tag-daniel-alvarez","tag-expertise","tag-howie-mandel","tag-internet-design","tag-los-angeles-chortle-manufacturing","tag-nikki-glaser","tag-social-media-followers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355287"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355287\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":355289,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355287\/revisions\/355289"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}