Jessie J flips his way to the “PGT” Season 7 Grand Finals with jaw-dropping back handspring routine

After his show-stopping semifinal performance last Saturday, May 31, Jessie J is flipping his way to the “Pilipinas Got Talent” Season 7 Grand Finals. Let’s look back on how each leap brought him to the peak of the competition.

Jessie J of Surigao del Norte  immediately made his mark the first time he stepped onto the “PGT” stage, where he delivered an interpretative dance of "Pangarap Ko Ang Ibigin Ka" during the Judges’ Auditions round, combining gravity-defying flips with fluid contemporary moves. At one point, using two chairs, he slid into a full split between them before flipping backward and landing head-first. Earlier, he wowed the judges with a rapid string of back handsprings, each ending in that same precise headstand finish. 

The Power Judges—Freddie “FMG” Garcia, Eugene Domingo, Kathryn Bernardo, and Donny Pangilinan—and the audience held their breath as he reached the most intense part of his act. Using the entire stage, he completed more than twenty back handsprings in swift succession. He received a standing ovation from all four judges, and Judge Kathryn quipped that it was the most backflips she’d ever seen in her life.

You could tell from the way he moved that Jessie’s been dancing for years. But because of how life played out, he couldn’t pursue it long-term. He had to find work that could actually help provide for his family. Still, he never let go of his love for dancing, or the dream of making it to a big stage like PGT. And as fate would have it, he didn’t just set foot on that stage, he made it all the way to the semifinals after being chosen in the Judges’ Cull. 

For his semifinal showcase, Jessie delivered a deeply moving contemporary routine, with a theme centered on depression, anxiety, and stress—words that were written on the banners beside his setup. He started at the top of a slanted board, then launched into a series of clean backflips, which was made even more dramatic by the sparking effect from his shoes. From there, Jessie used the board like a battleground—sliding, climbing, and hanging from its bars as if physically pushing through the weight of everything holding him down. 

Of course, his signature move wasn’t missing. At the peak of his performance, he once again filled the entire stage with his back handsprings, flipping across the floor in a high-speed sequence.

The judges were impressed. Judge Eugene even appealed to Filipinos to help Jessie J reach his dream as he's already proved his talent. And Filipinos listened. Jessie ended up getting the second highest number of public votes on joinnow.ph, with semifinalist Dwyne Lopena on the third spot.

Under this season’s format, only the act with the highest public vote automatically advances to the Grand Finals. The remaining two artists in the Top 3 have to rely on the judges’ final decision. In the end, the Power Judges unanimously voted for Jessie J to move forward.

Catch the remaining semifinalists on “Pilipinas Got Talent” Season 7, airing weeknights at 7:15 PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), and A2Z. You can also watch it on TV5 every Saturday at 7:15 PM and Sundays at 7:45 PM.