Jessica Sanchez performs Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ 'Die With a Smile' on AGT finale

Dubai: America’s Got Talent fans may want to start placing their bets. Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez returned to the show’s stage Tuesday night (September 23) and put on a finale performance that had the entire audience on its feet, cementing herself as a serious contender to win Season 20.

Sanchez, a standout from the show’s very first season, chose to perform 'Die With a Smile,' the recent Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars ballad. The song, already known for its powerful emotion, was cranked up to a new level as Sanchez, now nine months pregnant, took the stage. Wearing a delicate, all-white outfit, she sang with both power and precision, her performance building to a climax complete with fireworks and confetti.

The show's panel of judges, including Simon Cowell, Mel B, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel, were all visibly moved. Vergara, who gave Sanchez her golden buzzer in auditions, called her a 'pregnant angel with a beautiful voice.' It was a perfection of a performance, she said.

Mel B, meanwhile, said that with every performance, Sanchez draws the audience deeper into her world with more emotion and passion. And Howie Mandel, who wasn't a fan of Sanchez's previous song choice, declared this performance to be 'So far this is the best act of the night'

Simon Cowell said the comeback story itself was a powerful one, showing that even if you don't win the first time, you have to believe in yourself. He called the arrangement for “Die With a Smile” her best performance yet.

Now, it’s all up to America. Sanchez, who first auditioned for the show as a child back in 2006, is a grown woman about to have a child of her own. Her return has been one of the biggest stories of the season, and it turns out, it could very well have a fairytale ending.

The newest "AGT" grand winner will be named after the public votes are tallied, with the announcement coming Wednesday night (US time).