America’s Got Talent: All-Stars brought together 60 returning favorites—past champions, finalists, and crowd-pleasers—all competing for the ultimate “All-Star” title. The finale, which aired Monday night, featured the top 11 acts as chosen by judges and superfans.
Among the standout contenders is 13-year-old Ana-Maria Margean, a ventriloquist from Romania who previously won Romania’s Got Talent in 2021. For the All-Stars finale, she delivered a lively performance of “I Put a Spell on You,” blending singing with comedic dialogue from her puppet sidekick, Mrs. Know It All.
The judges were blown away. Heidi Klum praised her flawless lip control and called the act “perfect.” Howie Mandel likened her to a young Romanian Ariana Grande—with a puppet—and declared her a true All-Star. Simon Cowell also expressed confidence in Ana-Maria’s future, noting that successful ventriloquists like Terry Fator and Darci Lynne Farmer have already proven there’s a strong audience for this talent.
Fator, in fact, was Ana-Maria’s inspiration. She first discovered ventriloquism during the early COVID-19 lockdown after watching a video of Fator perform. By her 11th birthday, she had her own puppet—and soon after, she won Romania’s Got Talent. On All-Stars, she had the chance to perform alongside her idol, an experience she described as a dream come true: “I just want to make him proud,” she said.
In her audition for All-Stars, Ana-Maria chose to perform Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me,” a song she also sang during her original talent show audition, and interacted with a handmade dog puppet created by her mom. Her act earned high praise across the board, with Klum calling her voice beautiful, her performance funny, and her stage presence captivating.
Ana-Maria’s charm and skill have even earned her the support of other AGT ventriloquists. Darci Lynne Farmer, winner of Season 12, called her a “superstar” on Instagram. Terry Fator also expressed his pride in having inspired her.
Though Fator didn’t make it to the finale this time, Simon Cowell credited him for setting the standard that made All-Stars possible. “You have to get the best of the best if you’re going to call it that,” Cowell remarked.
The winner of AGT: All-Stars will be revealed in a special two-hour finale airing on NBC on February 27, featuring performances by top musical guests including Weezer, Adam Lambert, Lindsey Stirling, and Terry Fator himself.
