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'The Voice' Season 24: John Legend compares Niall Horan to former coach Nick Jonas as rivalry between teams thickens

John Legend was disappointed about the influence Niall Horan held over contestants due to him being a former One Direction member

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA: This season of 'The Voice' is seeing a rise in rivalries, and on the most recent episode, one coach made a startling connection. John Legend likened Niall Horan to a past judge while gushing about how "blown away" people were by Laura Williams.

Niall's fellow 'The Voice' coaches are having difficulty wooing former One Direction fans.

Following Laura Williams' Blind Audition on October 3, Reba McEntire and John Legend were upset that Niall Horan won the four-chair turner as the vocalist is a brilliant addition to his team. However, the other judges found a not-so-surprising tendency among a specific sort of competitor. "Dang boy bands!" Reba swore.

"It reminds me of when Nick Jonas was on the show," John said. "He had a certain pull with a certain generation of girls."

John Legend upset over losing 'The Voice' contestants to former One Direction member Niall Horan

Laura admitted to being a fan of One Direction while speaking with the coaches. "I saw you back in 2015!" she said to her future coach. "Did you see me up there in the nosebleeds?"

Later, in front of the cameras, John expressed his disappointment, saying, "I loved Laura's performance, and I'm very upset that she's a Directioner."

"Niall's been a thorn in my side all season," he stated, "and I have no chance against him with these girls."

Is Niall Horan leaving 'The Voice'?

Even though Season 24 still going on, the panel of coaches for the next season of the competition series has been unveiled.

Gwen Stefani and Niall will not return as coaches and will be replaced by Chance the Rapper and the singing duo Dan + Shay. Reba and John will be back for the spring season.

'The Voice' Season 24 airs every Monday and Tuesday on NBC at 8 pm ET.