Ahren Belisle
Ahren Belisle is a Canadian stand-up comedian from North Bay, Ontario,[1] best known as a finalist in the eighteenth season of America's Got Talent.[2]
Belisle, who has cerebral palsy and performs his comedy through a speech synthesis app on his phone, was working as a software engineer when, on a vacation in Portugal, he attended a stand-up comedy show where he made the audience and the performers laugh with his witty heckling, and was encouraged to try comedy himself.[3] Later in the year he appeared on Tony Hinchcliffe's Kill Tony podcast, generating such a positive reaction that he was given a "Golden Ticket" to allow him to appear on the show anytime he wanted.[4] He was solicited by the producers of America's Got Talent to participate in the season, which aired in 2023.[4]
He has stated that performing through a text-to-speech app has both negative and positive aspects, as the technology sometimes messes up but the delay as he types builds up an extra layer of comedic tension.[5]
In 2024 he appeared in All Access Comedy, a stand-up comedy special hosted by D.J. Demers for AMI-tv to highlight comedians with disabilities.[6] He and the other performers on the special received an ensemble Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series at the 13th Canadian Screen Awards in 2025.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Chris Dawson, "Local Comedian Ahren Belisle returns to America's Got Talent". Bay Today, August 29, 2023.
- ^ Lottie Elizabeth Johnson, "He’s an engineer. But now he could win $1 million on ‘America’s Got Talent’ ... as a comedian". Deseret News, August 30, 2023.
- ^ "This northern Ontario comic can't talk, but he's made it on America's Got Talent". CBC Sudbury, June 13, 2023.
- ^ a b George Clay Mitchell, "Ahren Belisle brings his bold comedy to Oklahoma and Arkansas audiences". Southwest Times Record, December 3, 2024.
- ^ Paulette Cohn, "'AGT' Mute Comic Ahren Belisle on How Technology Limits His Witty, Fast Thinking Delivery". Parade, August 29, 2023.
- ^ Greg David, "AMI announces winter 2024 debut and premiere dates on AMI-tv and AMI+". TV, eh, December 12, 2023.
- ^ "Canadian Screen Awards Television Program Categories". Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, March 26, 2025.