Gwen Stefani tells Niall Horan she 'feels sick' for him after his bizarre decision on ‘The Voice’
'The Voice' judges have always had to make tough decisions when it comes to selecting the right talent. However during season 23 playoffs, Niall Horan found himself on the hot seat to go first in picking the top 3 out of 6 incredibly talented team members: Nini Iris, Claudia B, Huntley, Julia Roome, Mara Justine, and Alexa Wildish. When the Playoffs began, each artist from Horan's team delivered a jaw-dropping performance, which earned them glowing praise from all four judges. However, there was something special about Wildish. After her performance, Horan said, “You bleed emotion and authenticity.” He added, "It has been so good to watch you amongst all the big belters." John Legend also added, "No one else is like you in this competition." With such heartfelt comments, no one could have thought that Horan would let her go.
But things were far from predictable. As all the performances wrapped that night, the tension rose. Huntley was the first to be picked in the top 3. Backstage to the camera, Horan stood by his decisions and said, "Huntley has such an individual tone in his voice, he's a machine on stage, an unbelievable performer." He added, "There is definitely a spot for him in our industry." When the time came to choose the next artist, Horan admitted, "How do I have to do this, look at that team." He continued, "The Second artist moving on is Nini." Speaking of Iris Horan shared that "Nini is the most ready, she knows exactly what she is, and she can win the whole thing. Are you listening, America?"
Tension on the stage rose as the other four contestants stood in anticipation, holding each other's hands. Carson Daly pressed, "Niall, who is the last artist to move on?" Horan, clearly having a hard time, said, "This is crazy, that I have to like make this decision, I just don't know how I do it." Legend exclaimed, "I'm on the edge of my seat." And Gwen Stefani said, "I actually feel sick for you right now. I do." Without further ado, Horan then revealed, "The third artist, moving on, is...Mara." Horan later explained his choice: "Mara is a perfect choice for Live shows because of the energy she brings, the control, the quality of her voice, she is so excited for this."
However, fans were taken aback; one YouTube viewer wrote, "I am so devastated. I cannot believe he did not pick her. I thought she was the solid one for sure, going through insane Alex saying you are so amazing. It has been a gift watching you and hearing you sing." Another added, "He made a huge mistake letting her go, and the comments prove that. I’m shocked she was eliminated! I wanted her to make it to the finals. She’s special." The third added, "Really sad that she didn’t make it! I thought she was phenomenal and so different than the other belters. She was able to interpret a song and bring out the emotion! Niall blew it on this one."
"REALLY, Niall! This GIRL was the G.O.A.T for this season of the voice," wrote the fourth. GoldenDerby also asked fans to vote for the singer whom they felt was most robbed during the season 23 Playoffs, and the results were shocking. Wildish topped with a whopping 72% leaving Roome with 17% and Claudia B. at just 11%. It is given that even if Wildish didn't win over coach Horan, she won the hearts of the fans.