Getty Ruby Leigh performs on 'The Voice.'
After finishing in second place on Season 24 of “The Voice,” Ruby Leigh says nobody needs to feel “sorry” for her. The 16-year-old came up just short from taking home a victory for her home state of Missouri. But after losing to Huntley, Leigh tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that she is “just getting started.”
It’s been a little over a week since the Season 24 finale of “The Voice.” Despite having time to second guess herself, Ruby Leigh still isn’t feeling upset about her loss. “Everyone is telling me ‘so sorry.’ I don’t need people to be sorry, I feel like a winner honestly, says Leigh. “I made it so close, more than anyone in Missouri.”
Finding her silver lining from her loss has helped Leigh hold her chin up high. “I was the highest-finishing female on the show, and I’m a minor,” says Leigh. “It wasn’t my destiny to win. I’m fine with that. It’s just a TV show. That’s what it is.”
‘The Voice’ Star Says ‘I Feel Like I Won, Too’
Although Huntley was the one who heard his name announced as the winner, Ruby Leigh doesn’t hold any animosity for him. In fact, she says that his win was well-deserved. “I feel so happy for Huntley,” Leigh explained to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s so deserving and such a nice person. If I had to lose to anyone, I’m glad it was him. I feel like I won, too. There are so many people who would’ve never heard of me.”
For “The Voice” runner-up, her bond with Huntley started almost immediately. Ruby Leigh recalls the night before her blind audition. She was inside her hotel room while practicing her yodeling. After a few moments, Huntley loudly knocked on her door.
Leigh was caught off guard by what the rocker told her when she opened the door. “He said ‘I’m from [expletive] Virginia and never heard anything like that. That was awesome.’ I didn’t even know he was on the show,” says Leigh. “I thought he was a random guy.”
‘The Voice’ Runner-Up Ruby Leigh Is ‘Just Getting Started’
Throughout Season 24 of “The Voice,” Leigh was often considered one of the front-runners. Her mixture of genres is something that made her a fan favorite. She performed songs from a variety of artists including LeAnn Rimes, John Denver, the Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, and Taylor Swift.
As the teenager heads back to her home state, she already has her schedule quickly filling up. For New Year’s Eve, Leigh won’t be headlining a show in New York City or Los Angeles. Instead, she’ll be performing at Edwardsville Post #199 in Missouri. But she’ll be bringing along everything she’s learned from her journey on “The Voice.”
For those in attendance for her New Year’s Eve show, they can expect a wide offering from the singer. “I sing a little bit of everything rock, blues, pop, not just country,” says Leigh. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, a lot of stories. I’ve got so many stories of my time in California, new things I tried and experienced, stories of me and Reba [McEntire], funny things that didn’t air on the show.”
With 2024 just a few days away, Leigh has her eyes focused on the future. To her, there is no limit to how far she can go. “It’s only the beginning for me, says Leigh. “I’m just getting started.”