A young singer from England walked onto the America’s Got Talent stage with a simple dream: leave his day job behind and make music for a living.
At just twenty-one years old, Lee Collinson had never been to America before. His everyday job was putting up garden fences, but music was what he really wanted to pursue.
Then he started singing Dermot Kennedy’s “Better Days.”
What began as a nervous audition quickly turned into a performance that impressed all four judges. And after Simon Cowell told Lee that he probably did not realize how good he was, the judges brought his mother into the moment from England.
Lee Collinson Came to AGT With a Big Dream
Lee Collinson was a twenty-one-year-old singer from England when he auditioned for America’s Got Talent Season 17 in 2022.
Before taking the stage, Lee explained that his dream was to make music professionally, whether that meant recording in a studio, touring, or simply being able to make a living as a singer.
For the time being, however, he had a very different job.
Lee described himself as a fencer, but he quickly clarified that he was not talking about sword fighting. His job involved putting up fences in gardens.
It was a regular job supporting an extraordinary ambition.
And AGT gave him the opportunity to see whether his voice could take him somewhere bigger.
What Happened on the AGT Stage?
Lee chose “Better Days” by Dermot Kennedy, a song released in 2021.
The choice was personal. Lee explained that the song connected with the difficult years surrounding the pandemic and the loss of a friend during lockdown.
When the music began, Lee initially appeared nervous.
But as the song developed, his voice became the focus of the audition.
The softer opening gave way to a much bigger vocal performance, allowing Lee to show the judges his tone, range and control.
The audience responded strongly, and Simon Cowell was the first judge to stand. Contemporary coverage described the performance as polished and powerful, while the judges praised both his voice and his presence on stage.
The nervous young man who had walked onto the stage moments earlier was beginning to look much more comfortable.
And then came the judges’ verdict.
The Judges’ Reactions
The four judges — Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara — all responded positively to Lee’s performance.
Howie Mandel highlighted the pressure of performing in America for the first time and praised Lee for handling that pressure.
Heidi Klum told him that the long trip from England had been worth it and praised his stage presence.
Sofia Vergara focused on Lee’s personality as well as his voice, saying she had been hoping that someone with such a beautiful personality would also have a great voice.
Simon had perhaps the most significant message for Lee.
He described him as charming, humble and likable, before telling him:
“You don’t even know how good you are.”
That was followed by an especially personal moment.
Simon Cowell Called Lee’s Mom
Lee’s mother, Sherry, was back in England while her son was performing thousands of miles away.
Rather than simply announce the result, the judges brought her into the audition through a FaceTime call so she could hear what happened.
It gave Lee’s mother the chance to share the moment with her son from home.
Then came the news.
Four yes votes.
Lee was moving forward in the competition.
The phone call made the ending more personal than a standard audition result.
Lee had traveled to America for the first time chasing a dream, while his mother was still back in England. Now she could hear the judges praise her son and learn immediately that he had earned another opportunity.
Why Viewers Remembered the Performance
Lee’s audition worked because it combined several simple elements into one memorable story.
There was the young singer with a big dream.
There was the unusual day job.
There was a song with personal meaning.
And then there was the unexpected family moment at the end.
The performance itself also gave viewers a reason to keep watching. Lee did not arrive with a complicated production or elaborate concept. He simply had to stand on one of the biggest talent-show stages in the world and prove that his voice could carry the moment.
He did.
The contrast between his nervous beginning and the confidence he showed as the song built made the audition particularly effective.
But the story was bigger than the singing.
It was about a young man hoping that music could become his future — and a mother back home getting to witness the first major step.
Full-Performance Information
Performer: Lee Collinson
Show: America’s Got Talent
Season: Season 17
Year: 2022
Audition: Season 17 Premiere / Auditions 1
Song: “Better Days”
Original Artist: Dermot Kennedy
Performance Type: Vocal performance
Judges: Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara
Audition Result: Four yes votes
Later Result: Lee advanced to the semifinals.
Lee later performed “Flowers” by Lauren Spencer-Smith during the semifinals, but he did not receive enough votes to advance to the final stage.
Watch the Full Performance
Want to see the moment for yourself?
Watch Lee Collinson perform “Better Days” and see how his nervous start turned into a performance that earned four yes votes — followed by a special moment with his mother.
Watch the full performance on YouTube:
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From a Fence Builder to the AGT Stage
Lee Collinson arrived in America with a dream that was bigger than his day job.
At twenty-one, he was still putting up garden fences in England while hoping music could eventually become his career.
Then he stood in front of Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara and sang “Better Days.”
The judges heard something special.
Four yes votes sent him forward, and the unexpected call to his mother gave the audition an even more personal ending.
Lee did not win the competition, but his first AGT audition marked an important step in his journey.
Sometimes, a big opportunity starts with something very simple:
One singer. One song. And one chance to be heard.
