Heavy/NBC Blake Shelton uses his last ever steal in Season 23.
With the final pairing on April 24’s Knockout Round, “The Voice” pitted Holly Brand against Rachel Christine as Kelly Clarkson’s team had one more spot to fill. What she called her toughest choice proved to benefit Blake Shelton.
The country star is in his last season on “The Voice,” but he had one more steal left to use before Knockouts wrapped up. With Clarkson siding with Holly, Shelton didn’t even let Carson Daly finish speaking before he hit his buzzer. It was the second time Shelton held his steal option until the end of the round, first doing so in the Battle Round.
Blake Shelton Nabs Rachel Christine as His Last Steal
The competition between Holly and Rachel was the capstone of the Knockout Round. It saw Holly tackle “Blue Moon of Kentucky” while Rachel added her own spin to Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.”
Shelton said he enjoyed what he saw from both but was thrilled to grab Rachel for his final spot after Clarkson’s decision.
“I think in a moment like that, I mean what Holly did was flashy and it’s undeniable,” Shelton remarked to his new member. “Now you get to show everybody that you can do something just as incredible.”
There was a stark difference in the song choices that the two girls went with which is what Shelton was alluding to. The judges all agreed that Rachel’s response to Holly’s whistle note-infused performance was admirable. It was Shelton, though, who had the only chance to take her on his team.
“You’re my last steal ever,” he reminded her. Shelton has been a coach on the show since the show began in 2011.
Blake Shelton Is ‘So Happy’ to Have Rachel
With his team complete, Shelton now feels Rachel gives him something his side was lacking. What she has proven with her performances is that she can take on a wide range of arrangements. Clarkson referred to her as a “dark horse” during Monday’s episode while Reba McEntire, who was serving as a Mega Mentor, complimented her mic placement. During her Blind Audition, Shelton was one of two judges that didn’t turn around as both Clarkson and Chance the Rapper hit their buttons.
“I’m so happy I stole Rachel,” Shelton said in the episode. “She sang flawlessly. I just think that she’s a very diverse vocalist and I need that on my team.”
So far, Rachel has picked songs by Alanis Morrisette, Maggie Rogers, and Fleetwood Mac. She said afterward that she “never thought that Blake would save me” considering she doesn’t have a background in country music.
“So that meant the world and to hear that it was his last save.. I’ll put that on a resume,” she explained to the camera. Rachel will join Shelton’s team that features NOIVAS, Kylee Dayne, Grace West, and Mary Kate Conner. These five comprise the last ever “Voice” team led by Shelton, who will be looking for his 10th individual winner in his final season.
“The Voice” will now enter its Playoffs with all four judges having their teams of five singers including one each that received a Playoff Pass which allowed them to bypass the Knockouts.