America's Got Talent Wiki
Advertisement

Jeki Yoo was a magician from Season 12 of America's Got Talent. He was eliminated in the Judge Cuts. He returned in Season 16 where he was eliminated in the deliberations.

Background[]

When he was young, Jeki Yoo was an active boy who liked to play with friends but also liked to make origami or make other things while watching TV. He was a normal boy. After his mother died in 2002 from hepatocirrhosis, he was very sad but at this time he discovered magic and got immersed. He could overcome his passive attitude and sadness through magic. He then decided to become a magician.

After winning Asia's greatest magic contest, The Busan International Magic Festival in 2006 as a high school student, Jeki began winning international contests like a comet. In 2009, he won the close up award in America's I.B.M magic contest, one of the biggest magic contests in the world. Since then he has performed in England, France, Sweden, Italy, Japan, China, and many other countries.

In 2012, Jeki teamed up with Elli K. Park, a female magician who conquered the International Magic Contest. They performed a ‘Quick Change’ performance, where outfits are changed before one's eyes, done in their own way. After working together for a year, they made an appearance on the famous Korean TV show, SBS's ‘Starking’, Performing the ‘Quick Change’ act for 20 minutes. The show recorded high ratings and at the same time heated up the internet, making them more widely known.

Recently Jeki and Elli set the ‘Guinness World Record’ for changing into 9 outfits in 30 seconds. As a member of "SNAP", One of the biggest magic shows in Korea, Jeki was invited to the Edinburgh Festival in the UK and received the spotlight by getting high praise from international newspapers and famous media. In the same year the duo appeared upon French TV Show 'Le Plus Grand Cabaret Du Monde' & Chinese TV Show 'China Guinness Nights'. Additionally in 2016 he performed upon The A.M.A Awards in Beverly Hills, The Qingdao tour magic show at the Qindao Film Festival, and was a Royal cruise ship guest entertainer in Japan. ​ Jeki moved to the United States from South Korea for his own American dream to come true. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California. [1]

Season 12 Audition[]

Jeki Yoo's audition was never televised. Although Simon Cowell voted "No", Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Heidi Klum voted "Yes", sending Jeki to the Judge Cuts.

On August 25th, 2017, Jeki uploaded a video to his official YouTube channel which he states was the routine he performed in his first audition for the judges. [2]

Season 12 Judge Cuts[]

Jeki Yoo's Judge Cuts performance in Episode 1209 consisted of performing a series of tricks involving a randomly selected signed card disappearing from the middle of a deck and appearing under a bowl. The act ended with the deck disappearing and reappearing under the bowl. Jeki's performance was not strong enough for the judges to send him to the Quarterfinals, eliminating him from the competition along with The Naked Magicians and Tony and Jordan.


After the Show[]

Jeki Yoo and his magic partner Elli K. Park competed, as a quick change act, on Season 12 of Britain's Got Talent. They were eliminated in the Semifinals, after being buzzed by Simon Cowell.

Additionally in 2017, he appeared at Private Events in Costa Rica, The IBM Ring 75th Anniversary 'Magic!' in Canada, Magic Show in Hawaii, Scot Nery's Booby Trap Show in Hollywood, the IBM&SAM Combined Magic Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, Magic Mania in Santa Monica, & the Magic Castle Hollywood, LA.

In 2018, he appeared on Super Magic in Rome and performed at Corporate Events in Hong Kong.

Additionally in 2018, Jeki competed on an episode of Masters of Illusion, which was entitled 19 Masters of Illusion and aired on The CW.

Later in 2018, Jeki also appeared on Steve Harvey's show known as Steve's Must See, appeared on SCTV's The Grand Master Asia, and appeared on Israel's Got Talent as a Guest Performer.

Later in 2018, he also performed at the Magic Castle Hollywood, LA for the second time. Alongside this he also performed at UK Private Events, Roncalli's Dinner Show in Germany, corporate events in Hong Kong, & SCTV's The Grand Master Asia.

In 2019, he performed a Quick Change Show in Hawaii at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.

In May 2020, the duo both appeared upon an episode of Masters of Illusion marking Elli's first appearance upon the show, before Jeki appeared on another two episodes of the show alone once again, with the first occurring later in May, and the second occurring in September.

Jeki appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us' seventh season on its eighteenth episode, where he performed a close-up magic routine with signed cards and a sticker. He successfully fooled the pair. Jeki later went on to appear on Penn & Teller: Fool Us' eighth season on its second episode, wherein he failed to fool the duo.

In 2022, Jeki appeared on the Romanian competition show !Umor.[3]

Season 16[]

Jeki Yoo auditioned again in Season 16 as his card could be seen at deliberations. His audition was not televised but at least 3 judges voted yes sending him to the next round. The judges did not select him to advance to the quarterfinals, eliminating him from the competition.

External Links[]


Advertisement