Kelly Clarkson didn’t hide her feelings when one of her favorite contestants was sent home during Monday’s episode of The Voice.
Monday marked the first of The Voice‘s Season 29 Battle Rounds. Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and John Legend, all previous winners of the reality singing competition, started out the night with 10 contestants each. They were tasked with pitting two team members against each other, with one sent home and the other advancing to the Knockouts.
The coaches made some heartbreaking decisions as they were forced to eliminate some of their favorite hopefuls. But for Kelly Clarkson, one of the toughest eliminations for her to witness wasn’t on her team.
RELATED: Why Was Kelly Clarkson Absent From Her Battle Round Rehearsals?
Pop-soul singer Lucas West and 14-year-old country singer AJ Robinson went head-to-head with a cover of Hunter Hayes’ “Wanted.”
“I felt like I could find a song where country, soul, and pop kind of intersect, so I picked Hunter Hayes’ ‘Wanted,'” coach John Legend said.
From the moment Lucas and AJ took the stage to perform, Kelly Clarkson was gushing over AJ. “I can’t escape how utterly cute you are,” Kelly told AJ after the performance. “You’re just so cute in that little cowboy hat. And I just want to put you in my pocket.”
She praised AJ’s vocals and turned her attention to Lucas’s impressive voice before once again saying, “AJ, you’re just so freakin’ cute … I could not take my eyes off the little Howdy Doody. I love you so much.”
Coach John Legend Makes His Choice
When it came time for Coach John to decide who he would be taking to the Knockout Round, he chose Lucas West. Kelly agreed with his decision, but was heartbroken to see AJ Robinson sent home.
“Watching AJ go home was so hard for me,” Kelly said told the camera. “Lucas, look, he deserved it. He is a great singer. But if I’d had a Steal, 100 percent I would have stolen AJ.”
She then turned to John and declared, “John, you broke my heart! I wish I had a steal.”
Watch AJ Robinson and Lucas West’s Battle Round performance of “Wanted” and the aftermath of John Legend’s decision in the video below.
