A friend of teenage dancer Emily Gold placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as AGT judge Howie Mandel prepared to deliver his scathing verdict on the troupe’s performance a month before her suicide.

The team from Los Osos High School in California was eliminated from the quarterfinals last month despite a rousing ovation from the crowd at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena – but it is not known whether this had anything to do with her decision to end her life.

The show paid tribute to 17-year-old Gold on Tuesday, praising her as a “bright young soul” after she was found dead under a bridge on Highway 210 shortly before midnight on Friday.

Judge Simon Cowell joined the audience in giving the team a standing ovation and praised the team’s performance as an “event”, while Mandel, on the other hand, was unmoved by the team’s performance and delivered his devastating farewell speech.

“The ‘event’ was a high school halftime show,” he noted. “I would love it even more if my granddaughter was there.”

A friend put a reassuring hand on Emily’s shoulder as AGT juror Howie Mandel sat with his arms crossed and delivered his devastating verdict

However, Mantel was booed when he warned them that they were about to be eliminated from the competition.

Emily’s parents said they had a “hole as big as the universe” as they broke their silence on her sudden death on Friday.

“It is with immense sadness that we inform you all that we lost our beautiful Emily on September 13th. There is a hole in our hearts as big as the universe right now,” father Steven wrote on Instagram.

“The outpouring of love and support we are receiving shows us how many lives this angel has touched and lifted, and that will help us through the most difficult time of our lives.”

Emily was a member of both the cheerleading squad and the varsity dance team at her school in Rancho Cucamonga.

There was great excitement at school when the dance team aced the AGT auditions in May.

“It was absolutely brilliant,” Cowell told his fellow judges.

“What I liked most about it was the energy. I think what I just saw is everything a great school should do, which is foster talent and friendship.

“It reminded me of watching the movie High School Musical and thinking, ‘Every kid should go to a school like that.'”

Mandel dismissed the audience as biased and warned, “The bar has been raised this season and when you see dancers on that million-dollar stage, you want to see at least one move that makes you say ‘Oh my God.'”

Simon Cowell (right) joined in the standing ovation for the troupe’s performance, but Mandel (left) remained unmoved as the audience booed his caustic remarks.

Emily sat in the front row as they prepared to hear the judges’ remarks

Juror Sofia Vergara said she had never seen the audience react so positively to a performance

Cowell spoke of a “gigantic step forward” as the group returned for the quarter-finals, and fellow judge Heidi Klum struggled to make her voice heard over the cheers of the crowd.

“I’m here for you, I love you guys,” she told them before turning around, surprised by the noise.

“Oh my God!” she murmured.

“I have never seen this theater act so crazy, it is unbelievable for me,” said juror Sofia Vergara.

But Mandel insisted, “I still think the same thing,” as he sat with his arms folded and predicted her elimination.

“The reason it sounds so wild here is because the families are out here,” he claimed, the boos from the crowd ringing in his ears.

“You’ll see. The people at home.”

Emily apparently did not take the criticism to heart and posted a happy picture of her graduation party at sunrise on her Instagram account three days later.

In an interview with People immediately after the show, she talked about the effort she put into her routine.

“When I perform, I really think about all the corrections because we get corrections up to five minutes before our performance,” she told the website.

“Really thinking about all of this so we can apply it is my biggest priority on stage.”

When asked about the challenge of balancing dancing and school, she said: “It’s definitely difficult to balance everything, but we manage.”

Emily’s friends in the dance group paid their own tribute to the “beautiful, loving and kind” dance captain of the varsity team yesterday.

“Emily has always embodied every aspect of our core team values ​​through her strength, commitment, kindness, compassion and extremely humble heart,” they wrote.

And Emily’s devastated twin brother Alex paid tribute to his “little sister” on social media with a photo montage of their childhood together.

“The time we spent together will never be enough,” he wrote.

“You were my whole childhood and the memories we made together and all the places we went and saw together will stay with me forever.”

“You really broke my heart, Em.

“I will always stay awake for you and live life for you.”

Emily was a member of both the school’s Varsity Dance Team and Varsity Cheer Squad

Parents Brandy and Steven Gold said they had a “hole the size of the universe” in their hearts following the sudden death of their daughter on Friday night

Emily’s twin brother Alex paid a touching tribute to his “little sister”

Emily in her last Instagram post four weeks ago

A post on the NBC show’s Facebook page said they extend “deepest condolences to the family, friends and team members of Emily Gold. She was a bright young soul and will be greatly missed.”

Mandel, who joined the talent show’s judges panel in 2019, did not mention Emily’s death when discussing AGT’s enduring appeal this morning.

The veteran Canadian comedian said America would “never get tired” of the show, which he called the most engaging on television.

Emily Gold was found dead on Highway 210 eastbound in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday night, exactly one month after competing on America’s Got Talent.

“We all have dreams, we all have hopes,” he told Hollywood Outbreak. “We all think that those dreams and hopes may not come true for us.”

“So when they don’t come true for us, it’s fun to watch someone who has maybe talked about being locked in his room his whole life and no one has ever seen him do it or never heard of him.

“You step on the X and then – boom! – your life changes forever.”

Dailymail.com has contacted Mandel for comment.

If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.