Spoiler alert! This story discusses the sixth night of Blind Auditions on The Voice Season 24, which aired October 10.
The Voice coaches have proven they have no shame when it comes to trying to win artists for their team. Niall Horan in particular has been a troublemaker, fighting with John Legend and getting on his knees to beg for singers in hopes of choosing the eventual winner in order to defend his title. But Gwen Stefani went too far even for the One Directioner, when she appeared to be flirting with one of the contestants following his Blind Audition, and he was sure to call her out for it — even pretending to text her husband Blake Shelton!
Blake Shelton has retired from The Voice after 23 seasons, but Niall Horan still had an eye out for his buddy when The Voice hopeful Willie Gomez auditioned with a spicy version of “La Bachata.” Gwen Stefani turned her chair early, and it actually looked like she might have him all to herself … until the other three coaches hit their buttons later in the performance. Following the song, she exasperatedly shouted, “I thought I had you!” to which he replied, “You still have me!” The No Doubt vocalist continued:
Your voice is so beautiful and flawless. He has so much stage presence. You’re gorgeous.
At this, Niall Horan had heard enough, and he pretended to take out his phone to shoot a warning to his buddy, joking:
Blake, she is flirting his pants off.
Of course Niall Horan would have Blake Shelton’s back, even in his absence, after the father-son relationship the two formed on Season 23. Gwen Stefani laughed off Horan snitching on her, explaining to Willie Gomez that those were the lengths she had to go to to land team members, saying:
I literally need somebody on my team, so I’m just trying to flirt. I’m joking, I just like this vibe, the energy, and I really think that you’re super gifted, super talented. I would love to work with you.
However, Willie Gomez had his pick of all four coaches, and in the end he chose to join Team Legend, pointing out that the EGOT winner has sung in Spanish, as Gomez did in his audition. This was, of course, not welcome news to Gwen Stefani, who continued to play up her connection with the artist, saying:
We’re locking eyes, like this whole chemistry thing. Doesn’t choose me. Chooses John frickin’ Legend.
The flirty exchange was all in good fun, and I don’t even think Blake Shelton’s presence would have kept her from trying her hardest to win the singer over. If anybody can respect that strong competitive spirit, it’s the cowboy, right? You can see how the whole amusing exchange went down here:
If you think the coaches have given all they’ve got to build their teams so far, I can’t wait to see how desperate they get as they fill the last remaining spots. The Blind Auditions will wrap up next Monday, October 16, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, so be sure to tune in. You can also check out our 2023 TV schedule to keep up with all of the upcoming premieres.