‘Reba’ Alum Steve Howey Has Interesting Response to Tom Sandoval’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ Audition

Tom Sandoval‘s audition for America’s Got Talent elicited some surprising reactions — including from Reba alum Steve Howey.

Peacock shared a clip on Friday, June 20, of Sandoval, 41, putting on a show while singing a cover of the 1980s song “Take on Me” for judges Simon Cowell, Sofía Vergara, Mel B and Howie Mandel.

“My name is Tom Sandoval. I was the most hated man in America,” Sandoval said in reference to his affair scandal, which played out on season 10 and 11 of Vanderpump Rules. “This is the chance to show who I am as a musician.”

Vergara, 52, didn’t appear too thrilled to see Sandoval take the stage, while Cowell, 65, ultimately smiled by the end of the song. Howey, 47, meanwhile, took to the comments section of Peacock’s Instagram post, writing, “adorable lol.” Several people subsequently asked Howey whether he is a fan of America’s Got Talent — or a surprise Bravo fan.

It was hard for anyone to miss the scandal heard around the world when news broke in March 2023 that Sandoval had cheated on now-ex-girlfriend Ariana Madix with their Vanderpump Rules costar Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.

Sandoval has since attempted to earn back the public’s trust with stints on Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, The Masked Singer and season 3 of The Traitors.

“Of course I’m sorry. Very much so,” he exclusively told Us Weekly in March about moving on and finding love with model Victoria Lee Robinson. “Whether people agree with me or not, that’s on them. But it has been an extremely rough backlash, and I understand [where they are coming from].”

Sandoval urged those still slamming him online to reconsider, adding, “Obviously, I want people to move on. Ariana has moved on, I’ve moved on, we’re all moving on.”

At the time, Sandoval admitted he was thrilled to have opportunities such as The Traitors to show a different side of himself.

“It really feels great. I knew that, like, what do I want to say? [I knew] being in a more positive, fun, gaming environment would get people to see me in a different light because it’s less about starting up drama and more just about playing the game and the funny antics that come with that and the campiness of it all,” he noted. “Vanderpump Rules is a much different environment and it obviously evolved as we went on from season to season and our lives changed. It was, at times, a very toxic environment.”

Sandoval is not expected to return to VPR after the entire cast was overhauled for new faces in season 12.

“The foundation of Vanderpump Rules was built on pure honest raw emotions,” he wrote via Instagram in November 2024 after news broke about the show change. “Some of my past decisions led to incredibly challenging times, from which I’ve learned valuable lessons and experienced personal growth. Despite the difficulties, I’m filled with gratitude for the learning experience and forever grateful for all of the memories.”

America’s Got Talent airs on NBC Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and is streaming on Peacock.