3 Shocking Moments on ‘The Voice’—Including Blake Shelton Not Recognizing His Own Bandmate

Who doesn’t love a bit of reality TV competition drama? The Voice is mainly known for its powerhouse performances and for lifting up talented singers to stardom. However, every once in a while, something unexpected might just happen. Let’s look at three shocking moments that happened on The Voice.

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1. When John Legend Blocked Ariana Grande

The look of shock on Grande’s face was hard to read. Was she legitimately offended? Was it no big deal? Who knows. But Legend was dead-set on getting Joshua Vacanti on his team, so he blocked Grande the moment Vacanti began singing, cackling the whole time. It also happened to be Grande’s very first episode on the show. This isn’t the most overtly shocking moment on The Voice, but it was shady.

2. When Kelly Clarkson Accidentally Kicked a Contestant

Zaxai’s performance on the 15th season of The Voice was excellent, but what really stole the show was the revelation he made in front of Clarkson afterward. He revealed that Clarkson kicked him in the back of the head. 

The incident happened while Zaxai was working as an usher at Radio City Music Hall. During a performance years ago, Clarkson accidentally clipped him in the head with her foot and was completely unaware of what had happened. Clarkson felt terrible after he revealed what she had done and offered a hug as well as a kiss on the head.

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3. When Blake Shelton Didn’t Recognize His Own Bandmate

We feel for Shelton on this one, because he may have come across as rude. That being said, 25 years is a long time! During this Season 20 blind audition, Pete Mroz performed “Can’t Find My Way Home” by Blind Faith. Both Shelton and Legend turned their chairs. 

After Mroz introduced himself, he was surprised to see no reaction from Shelton. He then revealed that he was once in a band called The Young Riders with Shelton almost three decades ago. Awkwardness ensued, Shelton felt bad, and Clarkson thought it was hilarious.

Photo by Tyler Golden, courtesy of NBC

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