This Nervous 16-Year Old Was the Last One to Sing

Simon Cowell is one of the most infamously tough judges on television history. His notoriously icy glare is enough to make a contestant freeze in their tracks and his critiques after a performance are brutally honest.

However, despite his notorious honesty, Simon is also an amazing judge of talent. When he loves somebody, he makes it very clear; and getting some validation from Simon is pretty all these contestants want.

How could we forget about the time he leapt out of his chair to hit the golden buzzer for a 16-year-old cancer survivor on America’s Got Talent even making his way onstage to congratulate her in person!

It’s a good reminder that Simon really is a good person, he just looks for the best talent possible. And if he doesn’t think you have it? He’s going to tell you.

On The X Factor UK 2016 6 Chair Challenge, Simon is faced with many difficult decisions, as he has to whittle the contestant count down to only a final six. It’s not an easy job, but it’s one that Simon is up to.

When it came time for the final contestant to the take the stage, 16-year-old Olivia Garcia walked out to face a terrifying sight: all six chairs have already been filled. This means her chance for getting through to the next round is slim to none.

The young girl is visibly nervous as she takes the stage. Her voice breaks as she introduces herself, saying she “only hopes to make Simon proud.” He can see her shakiness, turning to his fellow judges before she began and muttering, “She’s so nervous.”

It’s almost enough to make you cry.

But that’s where it all changes. From the very first notes, it becomes evident that Garcia’s voice is absolutely incredible. The crowd roars, the judges can’t hide their excitement, and Simon knows he’s in for a very, very tough decision, especially obvious from the look on his face.

Although we haven’t heard the other contestants sing, we can only imagine this is going to be a very difficult decision for the judges, especially now that they’ve heard what young Olivia can do.

Nervousness aside, she owned that stage, singing, “Changing.” The power-ballad is wonderfully supported by her deep, gravely tone, and her effortless ability to hit every high note; she has such a unique sounding voice, truly unlike anything we’ve ever heard. She has a wonderful way of nailing the bigger notes with a full-sounding voice, but playing with the higher notes in a lovely, gorgeous upper register.

As soon as Olivia stopped, the crowd bursts into cheers, sending the young singer to a fit of overwhelmed tears. The other contestants, who have already been given one of the six coveted seats, are visibly squirming in their seats.

And the judges? They don’t know what to do! The decision to send Olivia home or to replace her with a taken seat is up to Simon, and we would not want to be him in this exact moment.

Want to see what happens to this talented 16-year-old? Watch the nail-biting video below.