NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (UPI) — London-born ventriloquist Paul Zerdin has won America’s Got Talent taking home a grand prize of $1 million.
Viewers voted for Zerdin to win after he impressed audiences with his ventriloquism skills and comedic puppet characters.
He triumphed over a field of talented finalists, including Benton Blount, Derek Hughes, Drew Lynch, Gary Vider, Oz Pearlman, Piff the Magic Dragon, the Craig Lewis Band, the Professional Regurgitator and Uzeyer Novruzov.
In a Vine message posted on the show’s official twitter feed the ventriloquist thanked fans for voting for him.
“I can’t believe it, it’s the most amazing feeling, I thank everyone so much for voting for me. Thank you, thank you.”
Zerdin’s puppet characters include pre-teen Sam, senior-citizen Albert and Baby. The season 10 champ got into ventriloquism at a young age and has been practicing his skills since he was a teenager.
“The real turning point was when I was given a book on ventriloquism by the legendary Ray Alan,” Zerdin said. “By the time I hit my teens I was spending half an hour a day in front of the mirror practicing talking without moving my lips.”
The America’s Got Talent finalist has also earned an opportunity to headline America’s Got Talent Live in Las Vegas from Oct. 22 to 24 at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.
The season 10 finale marked the last episode for judge Howard Stern. The outspoken radio host ended his stint with the show with an emotional farewell segment. “I’ve had such incredible moments on this show. I really have…It has been phenomenal,” Stern says in the video.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.