The Reason Bianca Ryan Doesn't Watch AGT
As the first winner of America's Got Talent and the youngest winner overall, Bianca Ryan's connections to the long-running reality competition show run deep. She won at the age of 11, back in 2006, before returning to the stage in 2019 as part of America's Got Talent: The Champions, solidifying herself as the real deal following a couple of tough vocal cord surgeries. Now in her twenties, Ryan is even more of a superstar than she was as a child.
The singer-songwriter admitted to ET Canada that she never expected to emerge victorious, explaining, "at the time, it was the first TV show to really showcase other talents besides singing, so I just figured they didn't want another singer to win because there was already [American] Idol at the time." Although winning launched her career, changing the Pennsylvania native's life forever, Ryan isn't a regular AGT viewer like everybody else.
AGT's first and youngest winner isn't a big TV watcher
Speaking to The Odyssey in 2017, Ryan revealed she's never gotten through an entire season of AGT. Although the lovable pop star has caught some clips over the years, she doesn't watch the show religiously. It's not because of any negative feelings about her time appearing on it, however. Rather, Ryan simply isn't a big TV fan overall. She has worked with season 2 winner Terry Fator, though, opining, "I've done some shows with him, and he is probably the most successful winner. He takes every opportunity he can get."
She's also a fan of season 11 winner Grace Vanderwaal who, similar to Ryan, nabbed the crown at the age of just 12. "I am really happy for her and so hopeful for her career," Ryan noted sagely. She wishes social media was around back in 2006, describing the "personal connection" fans feel with celebs nowadays. The Pennsylvania native has upped her own social media game significantly since returning to the spotlight, frequently sharing new music with her tens of thousands of Instagram fans.