NBC Ryan Gallagher on "The Voice."
Following contestant Ryan Gallagher’s sudden exit from The Voice competition, it was revealed he was not eliminated. The former member of Team Kelly Clarkson was actually disqualified for breaking COVID-19 protocol, NBC and MGM said.
Last week, host Carson Daly announced that Gallagher had to leave the competition. Following the unexplained announcement, NBC and MGM elaborated on the elimination in a statement to People, saying, “Ryan is a talented artist, however The Voice has strict Covid protocols in place to secure a safe set for our crew, coaches and contestants. We were made aware of a breach in those protocols, and after examining the situation, and out of abundance of caution, we determined that Ryan could not participate in our Monday night show without potentially putting others at risk. Therefore, we made the difficult decision to remove Ryan from the competition.”
They have not explained what protocols Gallagher reportedly broke or how. Gallagher has not divulged the reasons for his exit, but he has teased on social media that he intends to share the “details” and “facts” with his fans soon.
Gallagher’s Manager Claims He Was Removed From the Competition Unfairly
While NBC and MGM say the decision to remove Gallagher from the competition was based on COVID-19 protocol, his manager claims that their reasoning was not entirely honest and that more went on behind the scenes. According to Entertainment Tonight, his manager said, “Last Sunday, Nov. 29, my client Ryan Gallagher, who was a leading contender as part of Kelly Clarkson’s team on the current season of NBC’s The Voice, was dismissed by NBC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios for an alleged violation of the show’s COVID-19 protocol. In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.”
He told Entertainment Tonight, “As you can imagine there is more to the story here than the show has announced and at an appropriate time and place of our choosing Ryan and I will be able to share the balance of the details, as well as Ryan’s side of the story.”
In a vaguely worded statement of his own, Gallagher took to Instagram to allude to what happened to cause his disqualification. In a caption, he wrote, “It’s been a weird/stressful week. I am grateful to each and every one of you for your continued support and love throughout this new development. Standby for more facts!”
Gallagher’s Mom & Grandmother Were Both Diagnosed With COVID-19
Gallagher’s family, like so many, has been personally affected by the coronavirus pandemic this year. Ahead of The Battle round of the reality singing competition, Gallagher opened up about the added stress of knowing his mom was sick with COVID-19. He said that both she and his grandmother had contracted the virus. Of his mother, who was hospitalized due to the virus, he added, “I’m hoping for the best still, and I think she’s gonna pull through; she’s a strong woman.”
When it was announced that Gallagher would no longer be competing, fans wondered if his dropping out had something to do with his mom’s medical condition. In an Instagram story, he explained, “Thank you everybody for your concern for my family. However, everybody’s fine. That’s not the cause of what happened tonight on The Voice. I didn’t drop out of the show. Details are still to come. I’ll keep you posted.”
On November 16, Gallagher revealed to his fans on Instagram that he went home from Los Angeles to Michigan “a few weeks ago” to see his mom. It is possible that that visit is what the NBC team claims broke protocol, but no official statement has been made.
Gallagher’s manager did allude to the possibility that his trip back home had something to do with the sudden elimination. He said, “It was a scary time for Ryan and his family and he certainly would not knowingly put anyone at risk by not adhering to the show’s COVID-19 policy.”
READ NEXT: ‘The Masked Singer’ Season 4 Reveals: Contestants Revealed So Far