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Where Is ‘AGT’ Season 1 Winner Bianca Ryan Now? Her Life 19 Years Later

Originally posted on TV Insider | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 3:34 PM ET

Bianca Ryan made history when she was named the very first winner of America’s Got Talent in 2006. After stepping away from the industry for a bit of time, she returned to AGT in 2019 for America’s Got Talent: The Champions.

Although she was eliminated in the preliminaries, it was an epic comeback for the singer after she dealt with some major health issues that almost prevented her from singing again. Scroll down for more about what happened and and update on where Ryan is now.

What is Bianca Ryan doing now?

Ryan is back to pursuing music, although she’s had some setbacks along the way. Shortly after her AGT win, Ryan released her debut album and a Christmas EP. She also signed a record deal and began touring.

However, in the early 2010s, she stepped away from the spotlight to deal with medical issues (more on that below). Following a criticized short stint on Broadway for a Home for the Holidays production in 2017, she eventually began recording again around the time of her AGT: The Champions comeback, even releasing an EP called The Reintroduction that year.

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By the end of 2022, Ryan made another conscious decision to retreat from the public eye. “I’ve been off social media and posting for 1 year now,” she explained in November 2023. “A year ago I realize that things just didn’t feel right for a while. I was confused about who I was and life outside of all of this. Ever since I was a kid, I don’t think I’d ever taken the time to willingly step away from everything and nurture and figure out who I am as a person; a human being. When I kept reflecting on everything, Everything just started to feel like a simulation. It felt like I was just writing more and more chapters but was never able to begin a whole new book.”

She still only posts on social media sporadically, sharing both song covers and some original music. Ryan also released a lipstick line in 2018.

How old was Bianca Ryan when she won AGT?

Ryan was just 11 years old when she was voted the champion of AGT. She was born on September 1, 1994, which makes her 30 years old as of press time.

What happened to Bianca Ryan?

Ryan opened up about her health issues when she was on America’s Got Talent: The Champions. As she later reiterated on Instagram, she had “multiple vocal surgeries due to a paralyzed vocal cord and blood vessels” that she “didn’t know [she] got shortly after winning and touring a lot.”

Before she had her first surgery, doctors told Ryan she was at “high risk” for esophageal cancer. Although that procedure was a success, she had to go under the knife again when blood vessels were discovered on her vocal cords.

America’s Got Talent, Season 20, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8/7c, NBC

This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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