Both judges and viewers of America’s Got Talent warmly embraced singer Richard Goodall from the moment he first stepped onto the AGT stage and earned a Golden Buzzer from Heidi Klum.
Even before host Terry Crews announced Goodall as AGT Season 19’s winner, the former “singing janitor” was already a champion. Not only was he the sentimental favorite throughout the season, but Goodall wed girlfriend Angie Vanoven the week leading up to the finale taping.
When it came to performing in tonight’s finale with rock band Journey, Goodall tells TV Insider, “There’s [stuff on your] bucket list and then, there’s ‘top shelf bucket lists.’ You can’t even remotely think that something like this was ever going to happen.”
Throughout the course of the season, Goodall, who performed soulful renditions of “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” “Eye of the Tiger,” and “Faithfully,” never lost his humility or sense of gratitude. “I had no expectations [of winning],” he says. “I went into every single round that way.”
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Goodall definitely wants his victory to herald the beginning of a new life. Understandably, he says specific plans are up in the air. “We’re just going to see what opportunities come our way,” he says. “[Angie and I] will sit down and figure out what the best route [is] for us. The sky is the limit.”
Longtime AGT judge Howie Mandel says that there were tons of talent throughout the season, but he feels America got it right by voting for Goodall. “We saw the best of everything this season,” Mandell says. “We saw the best dancing, the best magic…but Richard had that added value. He just made your heart burst.”
Goodall’s story is something out of a movie – an underdog taking a big swing in Hollywood and hitting a grand slam. “[But] this is not a movie,” Klum says. “This is real.”
Just as she did at his audition, Klum ran up on stage and congratulated Goodall after he was announced as the winner. “I told him I loved him and that he was so deserving,” Klum reveals as to what she said to the champion.
RelatedRichard Goodall Reveals How ‘America’s Got Talent’ Has Changed His Life
“I was over the moon when Heidi gave me the Golden Buzzer [at my audition],” Goodall recalls. “I was just going to fly out here, sing a song, and fly home. I never dreamed all this would happen.”
Vanowen had no problem with her groom and Klum embracing even though they’re still on their honeymoon. “If it hadn’t been for her… He can hug Heidi Klum,” Vanowen says with a smile. “I hugged Heidi!”
Not only will Vanowen be changing her surname, but, she says, so will her husband. “We’ve combined our last names,” she says. “Our new legal name will be ‘VanGoodall.’ We’ll be ‘Richard and Angela VanGoodall.’”
Goodall says he had a chance to chat with runner-up act Rhythm and Roni, a unique dog act comprised of Roni Sagi and her black-and-white border collie, Rhythm, after the show. “I hugged her and said, ‘Just don’t forget how amazing you are,’” Goodall says. “And she is amazing. The training it takes to have a dog do stuff like that is just amazing.”
Goodall has words of advice for people out there who believe that they have a talent and something to offer the world. “Don’t sell yourself short,” he says. “If you pursue a dream, pursue it to the end, you know? Don’t stop believing.”
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