The curtains have called on Asia’s Got Talent Season 3 and fans all over the World have locked in their votes.
Throughout this season’s show, we have all witnessed a broad spectrum of performances from hundreds of hopeful auditions; ranging from breathtaking magic tricks, scintillating dance moves, incredible vocal performances, elusive shadow play performances, and even some immaculate calculations.
Eric the Wizard
After 10 weeks of intense competition against the very best talents the Asian continent had to offer across 17 countries, Eric Chien emerged victorious and clinched the much coveted USD$100,000 prize money — alongside one year of complimentary flights via Vietjet Air.
In the end, it was his poetic sleight of hands magic tricks that succeeded in capturing the imaginations of all voters in this season’s Asia’s Got Talent.
Left to Right: David Foster, Anggun, Eric Chien, and Jay Park
Eric’s triumph is the first time a Taiwanese has been crowned the winner of Asia’s Got Talent since the show incepted back in 2015. And it came with little surprise as well; with the majority of the viewers considering Eric the powerhouse favourite of the entire season.
When we caught up with Eric after the confetti had settled down and he managed to regain some semblance of composure, he explained that his journey to clinching this accolade was riddled with self-doubt and enormous pressure.
“I have been sleep-deprived for a while for this,” Eric noted.
He explains that doubts seeped in because he only started performing in front of people less than a year ago and that competing for Asia’s Got Talent in front of millions of people was “nerve-wracking”.
“When I first auditioned for Asia’s Got Talent, that was my first month being a performer, and that was scary for me. As the months went by, as I got through each round, I learned to be better with my presentation and a lot more about performing.”
The human calculator
During the results show, Eric was eventually pitted against the human calculator from Malaysia, Yaashwin, as the top 2 finalists.
Left to Right: Yaashwin, Eric, Alan, Justin, and Power Duo
Like the equations presented to Yaashwin that appeared humanly impossible to solve (without a calculator) – he managed to somehow calculate his route to the top 2 spots; against conventional logic.
The Malaysian teen’s wit and novel performances involving mathematics and frightening calculating speed have earned him followers globally on social media. It is easy to see how he has succeeded in his mission in letting people see the fun in mathematics.
But alas, Yaashwin was one equation short of grabbing the top prize.
“Every time the hosts eliminate someone, it just feels really sad; and Yaashwin is definitely one of the best performers here because he is a genius.” Eric elaborated when asked on his fellow finalist.
The road to the Grand Finals
Throughout his journey in this season’s Asia’s Got Talent, Eric mesmerised the audience with his astonishing repertoire of close-up magic tricks. The judges alike gushed at his brilliance; often waxing lyrical at the sheer magnificence of his performances.
“I am awestruck. I feel you can turn me into M&Ms; it was amazing!” exclaimed Jay Park during one of Eric’s performance.
Looking ahead, Eric’s victory at Asia’s Got Talent could have a more profound impact than it first appeared; especially for the magic industry.
Just last year, America’s Got Talent saw its show crown its first magician winner in Shin Lim – who subsequently won America’s Got Talent: The Champions too. With Eric’s victory at Asia’s Got Talent, it appears the world of magic is on an ascendency, and it is taking the entertainment world by storm.
Their respective victories might spur on more even more aspiring magicians to participate in these talent shows.
Sharing magic with the world
When asked about winning the competition, the ever-modest Eric explained, “Given the stiff competition, I didn’t see this win coming. Never in my mind did I think I would win this. It truly is a humbling experience,”
“I am really grateful to everyone for the support, and it definitely feels amazing to win Asia’s Got Talent. Winning this competition has given me a lot of confidence in myself, and I will continue to share my magic with the world.”
And he is determined to stay true to his words.
Presently, he only has one assistant and executing shows on a large scale can be tricky. Hence, he announced that all his prize money would be allocated to getting assistants, better rehearsal places, hiring consultants, and getting stage managers. All this to create even more exciting shows for everyone, and to share his magic with the world.
“Even though I am nowhere near perfect, but I am still learning, and I know I will be better in the future.”
With such passion and love for magic, fans around the world can have full faith that Eric will deliver his promise to share his magic.
Visuals courtesy of AXN Asia.
