Will ‘AGT’ See Its First On-Air Childbirth?
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On last night’s America’s Got Talent Judge Cuts, we learned that two-piece band Us The Duo would be heading to the live shows next month. They may have been one of seven acts to achieve this (with many more soon to come) but they’re already starting to stand out from the crowd in a very special way.
Michael and Carissa Alvarado – the married couple who make up Us The Duo – were ecstatic to learn they would be moving on in the competition. But before they heard the exciting announcement from the judges, they had one of their own to share: they’re expecting their first child!
Fans who’d been following them since before their AGT audition aired have known about the pregnancy since they announced the news on their YouTube channel back in April, but this was the first most of the show’s viewers were hearing about it. And while the excitement of the act’s advancement to the quarter-finals is there, the news of their expanding family has quickly taken center stage.
The main thing a lot of people have taken notice of is the baby’s due date. The AGT season ends in mid-September, and, as announced via the aforementioned YouTube video’s title, the child is expected to arrive in October. A lot of people have started getting excited and/or concerned over the possibility Carissa could give birth while she and Michael are still competing.
So will we soon be witnessing the first childbirth in the Dolby Theater on live TV? While I’m sure it’d get Us The Duo a ton of viewer votes, it seems pretty unlikely. For one thing, I don’t think NBC could legally show a live, uncensored birth on primetime television (although I’m sure the ratings would go through the roof). But in all seriousness, this will be Carissa’s first time delivering a child, and first babies are much more likely to be overdue than born early.
However, it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility for firstborns to make their debut early, and I’m sure Carissa and Michael will be working very closely with the AGT crew to have a plan all set in case she goes into labor during rehearsals or the live broadcast. I’m also sure the show will play up the possibility of this during every Us The Duo segment for the rest of the season, because this pregnancy has now eclipsed their music as their main “draw” for viewers.
Us The Duo is certainly not the first act to have a “journey” that enacts more general audience interest than their talent. Most of the talk surrounding Golden Buzzer recipient Michael Ketterer has been about his experience being an adoptive father, not his singing. And one of the big storylines of Season 12 was the cancer battle of Evie Clair’s father, who passed away shortly after Evie was told she’d made it to the finals.
Some viewers love getting to know the contestants in this way, while others wish the focus remained on the “talent” that gives the franchise it’s namesake. Having a journey to follow certainly makes the show more exciting for a big part of the audience, but those who aren’t into it can take solace in the fact that for all the buzz about sentimental storylines, the majority of AGT contestants who’ve actually gone on to win didn’t have any dramatic backstories to speak of.
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