Jessica Sanchez’s AGT win is ‘healing’ for show’s first champion

Nearly two decades after sharing the same stage, Bianca Ryan says watching Jessica Sanchez win felt “healing” and long overdue.

The very first winner of America’s Got Talent, Ryan is looking back on what she describes as one of the most emotional moments she has experienced in her AGT journey, which was seeing fellow Season 1 alum Filipino American powerhouse singer Sanchez claim the Season 20 title. 

Ryan and Sanchez first shared the AGT stage

For Ryan, the win symbolized a long-awaited recognition for someone she has admired since childhood. 

“I am absolutely obsessed with her,” she told TV Insider, recalling how highly she regarded Sanchez even back in their teenage years.

Ryan shared that a few years ago, she was seriously considering forming a girl group and had already listed Sanchez among her top picks. 

“She was 100% in the top 10 of that list,” she told TV Insider, adding that collaborating in their 20s would have been “so good” and something she still thinks would be “really fun.”

Reflecting on Sanchez’s victory, Ryan said the moment carried a kind of emotional weight she didn’t expect. “There was something really healing about being able to see Jessica win. It really was a full-circle moment for both of us,” she shared.

Ryan also opened up about reconnecting with familiar faces from her AGT past, recalling the intensity of performing on television. “There’s something about singing on television. It’s so nerve-wracking,” she said, though she fondly remembered the thrill and the supportive reunions behind the scenes. 

She also had the chance to speak again with Simon Cowell, who served as an executive producer during her season. According to Ryan, Cowell encouraged her to consider returning to Broadway. “He encouraged me to do Broadway again, so maybe I’ll have to look into that,” she said.

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