Bianca Ryan received rave reviews from the judges for her rendition of Janis Joplin's Piece of my Heart and went on to win the public vote.

The show invited talent of any kind to perform, and included jugglers, comedians and a rapping grandmother.

David Hasselhoff, singer Brandy and journalist Piers Morgan were judges.

Cowell produced the show but was not allowed to appear due to contractual reasons - he appears as a judge on American Idol on the Fox network, while America's Got Talent is broadcast on NBC.

The talent show follows a similar format to American Idol.

The contest has joined a growing list of audition shows on US TV. Earlier this year, ABC had a hit with American Inventor, for which Cowell was executive producer.