A twenty-one-year-old singer from England walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage with a simple dream: to leave his day job behind and make music professionally.
His name was Lee Collinson, and before the audition, he admitted that he was nervous. It was also his first time in America.
Then he started singing Dermot Kennedy’s “Better Days.”
Within moments, the nervous young singer revealed a voice powerful enough to earn a standing ovation from the judges and audience. But the biggest surprise came after the performance, when Simon Cowell asked to call Lee’s mother in England.
Lee Collinson Came to AGT With a Big Dream
Collinson was twenty-one when he auditioned for America’s Got Talent Season 17 in 2022.
He came from Southampton, England, and worked as a fencer — not someone who competes with swords, but someone who installs fences around homes and gardens.
His goal was much different from his day job.
He wanted to make music.
Before performing, Lee explained that his dream was to be able to make music full time, whether that meant recording in a studio or performing on tour. He had also never been to America before making the trip for AGT.
His song choice had a personal connection.
Lee chose Dermot Kennedy’s “Better Days”, explaining that the difficult years surrounding the pandemic had affected him personally and that he had lost a friend during lockdown.
That made the performance about more than simply showing off his voice.
He wanted the song to carry a message of moving forward.
What Happened on the AGT Stage?
When Lee first stepped onto the stage, he appeared nervous.
That made what happened next even more striking.
As the opening of “Better Days” began, Lee settled into the performance and gradually revealed the strength of his voice.
The song gave him room to build from a more restrained opening into bigger, more powerful sections. By the chorus, the judges were clearly paying close attention.
The performance continued to grow until Lee reached the end of the song.
Then the room responded.
Simon Cowell was among the first judges to stand, and the performance received a standing ovation from the judges and much of the audience. Contemporary coverage described the audition as one of the memorable moments from the Season 17 premiere.
For someone performing in America for the first time, it was a major moment.
And Lee was not finished yet.
The Judges’ Reactions
The judges focused not only on Lee’s voice, but also on how much pressure he had handled.
Howie Mandel praised the way Lee dealt with performing on such a large stage, particularly because it was his first time in America. He said Lee had effectively “raised the roof” in the room.
Heidi Klum was equally enthusiastic.
She told Lee that the long trip from England had been worth it, praising his singing, stage presence, and overall performance.
Sofía Vergara also responded warmly to Lee. She said she liked his personality from the moment he started talking and was hoping that his voice would be just as impressive.
It was.
Then Simon Cowell delivered the reaction Lee was probably hoping to hear.
Simon described him as “charming and humble and like-able” and told him that he probably did not realize how good he was. He also told Lee that he hoped the audition would be the beginning of something special.
But Simon had one more idea.
He wanted to call Lee’s mom.
Why the Performance Became a Family Moment
The singing was already enough to earn Lee four yes votes.
But involving his mother transformed the ending into something much more personal.
Lee’s mother was back in the United Kingdom while her son was thousands of miles away in America.
The judges connected with her through FaceTime so she could hear the result herself.
And the result was unanimous.
Four yes votes.
Lee was moving on in the competition, and his mother was able to experience the moment from England.
That detail gave the audition an emotional payoff without taking anything away from the performance itself.
Lee had traveled across the Atlantic chasing his dream.
Now his mother was there to hear the judges tell him he had succeeded.
Why Viewers Remembered Lee’s Audition
The appeal of Lee’s audition came from the contrast between his ordinary day job and his ambition as a singer.
He wasn’t introduced as an established superstar.
He was a young man from England who worked installing fences and wanted the chance to make music his career.
Then he walked onto one of the biggest talent-show stages in the world and delivered a performance that made the judges stand.
His song choice also helped give the audition emotional depth.
“Better Days” already carried a message about getting through difficult periods, and Lee had explained that the song was personally meaningful because of the loss he experienced during lockdown.
The performance therefore had three things working together:
A personal story. A strong voice. And a genuine dream.
That combination made the audition easy to connect with.
Full-Performance Information
Performer: Lee Collinson
Show: America’s Got Talent
Season: Season 17
Year: 2022
Audition: Auditions 1 / Season Premiere
Age: Twenty-one
From: Southampton, England
Song: “Better Days”
Original Artist: Dermot Kennedy
Performance Type: Vocal performance
Judges: Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara
Audition Result: Four yes votes and advancement to the next round
Lee later continued through the competition and reached the semifinals. He performed “Flowers” by Lauren Spencer-Smith during the live-show stage before being eliminated from the competition.
Watch the Full Performance
Want to see the moment for yourself?
Watch Lee Collinson perform “Better Days” and see how his nervous beginning turned into a standing ovation — followed by the unexpected moment when the judges brought his mother into the audition.
Watch the full performance on YouTube:
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From Fence Builder to AGT Singer
Lee Collinson arrived in America with a simple goal: to make music his future.
He was nervous, it was his first time in the country, and his everyday job was far removed from the bright lights of the AGT stage.
Then he sang.
His performance of “Better Days” earned a standing ovation and four yes votes, but the most personal moment came when Simon Cowell helped bring Lee’s mother into the celebration from England.
For Lee, the audition became more than a chance to impress four judges.
It became a moment he could share with the person waiting thousands of miles away.
He came to America hoping for a better day. On the AGT stage, he found one.
