There is a new America’s Got Talent winner on the town!
After weeks of intense competitors, Richard Goodall, the singing janitor from Terre Haute, Indiana, who earned one among choose Heidi Klum‘s Golden Buzzers, was declared the season 19 winner on Tuesday, Sept. 24.
Goodall, 55, walked away with the title and the grand prize of $1 million — in addition to a brand new spouse, which he revealed throughout Tuesday’s finale.
“My mind is simply completely mush at this level. Surreal does not even cowl what has occurred,” Goodall instructed PEOPLE after his win. “This has been an absolute rollercoaster and now it has ended with absolute golden mud flying in all places.”
Previous to the thrilling second, Goodall was already on cloud 9 as he acquired to carry out “Don’t Cease Believin’” — the identical tune he initially auditioned with — alongside members of Journey. Issues acquired higher for the Indiana resident when he confirmed that he had just lately gotten married to his accomplice, Ang.
“The audition, I used to be flying out by the seat of my pants. By no means been on a aircraft, by no means been west of Missouri, and I used to be simply going to fly out, sing a tune, fly again dwelling, and perhaps inform someone I used to be on the present and have slightly YouTube video like everybody else,” Goodall defined to PEOPLE. “By no means dreamed [of this].”
“There’s bucket lists after which there’s top-shelf bucket lists,” he added. “You did not even understand it was up there on prime of the shelf. That is absolute, a bucket record [item] that I could not even [think] of or dreamed.”
Because the finale continued on, the ten finalists — Goodall, Brent Avenue, Sky Components, Learnmore Jonasi, Sebastian & Sonia, Dee Dee Simon, Solange Kardinaly, Hakuna Matata Acrobats, Rhythm and Roni and AIRFOOTWORKS — dwindled down, with host Terry Crews asserting the highest 5 acts.
Taking these locations have been Goodall, Jonasi, Kardinaly, Sky Components and Rhythm and Roni. Then, Terry continued on, revealing comic Jonasi had completed in fifth place, fast change artist Kardinaly was in fourth place and drone present specialists Sky Components landed in third place.
With the ultimate two acts left standing, audiences have been on the sting of the seat to seek out out who would win the last word title. Lastly, Terry revealed Goodall was the winner.
“Individuals say this on a regular basis, but it surely means all the pieces to Ang and I,” Goodall instructed PEOPLE after the thrilling second, referencing his now-wife. “It offers us an opportunity and a possibility to do one thing totally different, get a pleasant home and provides again to folks.”
Added Klum: “I am past excited for him. I do know this can change his life. He acquired married … and all of America has fallen in love with him, and likewise now he is going dwelling as this superb hero again to his city and his college. I am certain he is nonetheless going to proceed doing his job as a result of I really feel like that’s simply the person that he’s, loving his job and loving the youngsters that he sees day-after-day and the lecturers.”
When requested about the very first thing that Ang instructed him after his win, Goodall quipped, “She stated, ‘I am getting my home… and a washer dryer!'”
On a severe word, he added: “She means the world to me. I could not have made it via this with out her. I imply, it was arduous sufficient to do the audition spherical with out her, after which after we acquired into the quarters, she was with me each single time.”
Regardless of having the AGT title beneath his belt, Goodall stated he intends to return to work as a janitor at Chauncey Rose Center Faculty — however solely “for a short while.”
“Then we’ll see what alternatives come our manner after which Angie and I’ll make these selections collectively,” he stated, including of the prize cash, “We intend to speculate some after which get a pleasant home after which simply see what alternatives come our manner.”
For now, Goodall is solely absorbing each second of his AGT expertise.
“This entire week has simply been an absolute dream,” he stated. “An absolute dream that I do not need to get up from.”
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