Why Was Kodi Lee Not On Champions In 2020?

Kodi Lee and H.E.R recently performed an unforgettable duet for Season 16 of "America's Got Talent," described by fans as "Grammy-worthy." While having H.E.R onstage always induces goosebumps, their duet of the Grammy-winning singer's "Hold On" also reminds us why Kodi won Season 14 of the show. The talented musician first captured audiences around the world when he auditioned with a rendition of Donny Hathaway's "A Song for You" in 2019. The performance earned him a Golden Buzzer from Gabrielle Union, and quickly went viral (his audition currently has more than 34 million views on YouTube). 

As his mom explained on the show, the 22-year-old singer and musician was born with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia and is classified as legally blind. He also has autism. But neither have curbed his musical genius, as Kodi has only continued to win hearts and stages since he was crowned champion of "America's Got Talent" in 2019. With this win, he scored a record deal with Simon Cowell's Syco record label — and many expected to see him make a comeback on the reality show's "Champions" season in 2020. Surprisingly, Kodi's name wasn't included on the list.

Kodi Lee's season ended mid-2019, and he took home the $1 million prize as well as his record deal with Simon Cowell. Of the moment he won, Lee told People), "It was unbelievable." His mother Tina also gushed, "Oh my God, it's surreal. I'm still like, 'Did this really happen?' And Kodi, of course, he said, 'Oh, I knew I was going to be the winner.' ... It felt magical. Being there was like a dream. It felt like a dream coming true to actually be standing there."

So, when they were asked if Kodi would want to participate in "America's Got Talent: The Champions," Tina told the publication that they would be considering it. "I want to see how Kodi feels in the next couple of days to get a real answer from him. But I definitely think he will. I want to give him the rest and then he'll give me the answer," she said.

However, Kodi ultimately did not come back for the spinoff. Since Simon Cowell had previously told People, "I think this is as much pressure as he probably needs in one year. I think he needs to enjoy it for the moment, and hopefully forever. Maybe next year," it seems like Kodi's decision to not participate made sense. While it doesn't look like the Champions are coming back soon, per Gold Derby, we can't wait to see Kodi performing on screens and stages again.