'Star Search' Crowns Magician TJ Salta as Winner

Judges Jelly Roll, Chrissy Teigen, and Sarah Michelle Gellar share their thoughts on the finale

Published on Feb. 22, 2026

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The finale of the Netflix reality competition show 'Star Search' aired last night, crowning magician TJ Salta as the winner. Host Anthony Anderson revealed he almost had a 'Steve Harvey moment' on stage when announcing the winner, while the judges - Jelly Roll, Chrissy Teigen, and Sarah Michelle Gellar - expressed their excitement over the outcome and the close bond they formed working on the show together.

Why it matters

The 'Star Search' finale marks the end of a popular Netflix competition series that showcased a variety of talented performers. The judges' reactions provide insight into the behind-the-scenes experience of the show and highlight the camaraderie that developed between the panelists over the course of the season.

The details

During the post-finale interview, host Anthony Anderson admitted he almost made a mistake when announcing the winner, saying he was confused when the screen showed the runner-up name instead of the actual winner. The judges - rapper Jelly Roll, model Chrissy Teigen, and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar - all expressed their fondness for one another, with Jelly Roll revealing he grew to love magic over the course of the season despite initially disliking the genre. Gellar had predicted early on that a magician would win the competition.

  • The 'Star Search' finale aired last night on Netflix.

The players

Anthony Anderson

The host of 'Star Search' who almost made a mistake when announcing the winner.

Jelly Roll

A rapper who served as a judge on 'Star Search' and grew to appreciate the magic acts over the course of the season.

Chrissy Teigen

A model who was a judge on 'Star Search' and was surprised by the outcome, having initially predicted a singer would win.

Sarah Michelle Gellar

An actress who was a judge on 'Star Search' and correctly predicted early on that a magician would win the competition.

TJ Salta

The magician who was crowned the winner of 'Star Search'.

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What they’re saying

“I almost had a Steve Harvey moment because they told me who the winner was but on the screen it said runner up and I'm like, 'I'm confused now. Do I give the runner-up name or the winner name' so that's why I said 'and the runner up' and they were in my ear 'No no no!!' and I was like 'ok ya'll need to stop changing things around on a live show.'”

— Anthony Anderson, Host of 'Star Search' (PauseRewind)

“I'm not just gonna name one, I would go see everyone that we had on that stage. But everybody that [blessed] the stage, I would pay and sit in the audience and watch.”

— Anthony Anderson, Host of 'Star Search' (PauseRewind)

“I did not like magic when this started, I now love magic. I would buy tickets to TJ and Harry's show. Dude, I'm over the moon about it.”

— Jelly Roll, Judge on 'Star Search' (PauseRewind)

“No, it's true. All in the beginning, he kept saying I don't like magic, I don't like it, it creeps me out and now he might be the biggest magic fan out of all three of us.”

— Sarah Michelle Gellar, Judge on 'Star Search' (PauseRewind)

“I thought a singer was going to take it. I said that from the beginning, and I still even thought it like, weeks in. We're all in awe and so surprised and so proud of everyone that's watched.”

— Chrissy Teigen, Judge on 'Star Search' (PauseRewind)

The takeaway

The 'Star Search' finale showcased the judges' close bond and their evolving perspectives on the competition, with Jelly Roll going from disliking magic to becoming one of its biggest fans. The outcome surprised the panel, but they expressed pride in the talented performers who graced the stage over the course of the season.