AGT runner-up and comedian Drew Lynch laughs his way to success

Millions of Americans tuned into the tenth season of America’s Got Talent (AGT) and fell in love with its amazing acts, but no one truly won America’s hearts like comedian Drew Lynch. Over the past summer, Lynch brought as many laughs as he did tears with his great comedic ability and emotional story about perseverance in the face of tragedy. Despite all his hard work, it was not enough when he came in second place, losing the million dollar prize to ventriloquist Paul Zerdin by less than a one percent difference in votes.

Lynch’s brutally honest story started when at 20 years old, a softball hit to his throat caused him to wake up with a stutter the next morning, changing his life forever. Lynch originally moved all the way from Indiana to Los Angeles with the dream to pursue acting full time, but his stutter changed all of that.

Despite his vocal disability, Lynch persevered and pursued a career in comedy. Out of a place of darkness, Lynch found a passion for writing and performing stand up, which he brings to life the hardships of his disability to make both the crowd and himself laugh.

“I guess you’re not supposed to go to sleep with a concussion. I know that now. You live and you learn,” Lynch joked during his AGT audition.

Though his emotional story does contribute to his character, Lynch did not get to second place in the competition simply due to sympathy. The comedian is genuinely funny and every single one of his jokes hits, even when he improvises and responds to the crowd. Lynch also pokes fun at himself for his own disability, including joking about how he should never work at a drive-through and the difficulty when getting his girlfriend’s phone number.

People here in Mexico ask me if I'm fluent in Spanish.

I'm not even fluent in En-En-English.

— Drew Lynch (@TheDrewLynch) October 1, 2015

As a huge fan, on October 4, I personally attended his first headlining show since he left AGT. Lynch performed two shows at Flapper’s Comedy Club in Burbank, where he actually used to sell tickets, and I can guarantee that Lynch is not only hilarious when performing stand-up (for over an hour, at that!), but also extremely genuine.

Drew Lynch performs at Flapper’s Comedy Club in front of a sold-out crowd. (Image courtesy of Shaneli Mirpuri)

After his first show of the night, Lynch waited outside to take photos and sign autographs for those who attended. The line moved slowly, but for good reason – Lynch joked around and had a full conversation with everyone he met. In spite of his quickly growing fame and sold-out shows, Lynch still remains extremely humble and in-tune with his fans.

Lynch may not have won America’s Got Talent, but he definitely won America’s hearts. He has persevered with his stutter and he perseveres now as goes on tour across America to share more laughter with the world every day.

Drew Lynch took time to pose with his fans after his show. Beyond taking photos, he also signed his shirts available for sale and my phone case. (Image courtesy of Shaneli Mirpuri)

Want to see more of Drew Lynch?

Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @TheDrewLynch

Subscribe to his YouTube channel @WordsRHard and see one of his latest videos below!

Check out his website for upcoming events at www.drewlynch.com

And if you never caught him on AGT, here is the full video of his first audition!