In both British and American talent contests, there is one jury member who is exceedingly hard to please. The TV presenter, Simon Cowell, will grin and ask you to leave if you are truly great and self-assured, but if you lose your hold and goof up, a red signal from him is inescapable.

Cowell is really tough to beat. He disbelieves in magicians and meticulously evaluates vocalists for trickery. It is challenging to stand up to such a judge.

Sometimes adults’ knees shiver, much less children’s. Ansley Burns, a 12-year-old from South Carolina, dropped by the show one day. The young girl wrote a song and started singing it. The composition is sincere, and the voice is powerful.

Simon, however, was baffled and challenged the girl to sing without music. Cowell even provided Ansley with water. Although the young performer seemed bewildered, she accepted the challenge. Watch the video to find out what occurred next.