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VIDEO: ‘The Voice’ finale – Team Blake’s Todd Tilghman wins Season 18

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VIDEO: ‘The Voice’ finale – Team Blake’s Todd Tilghman wins Season 18

Team Blake Shelton’s Todd Tilghman – who was the first person to audition on this season of “The Voice” – outlasted everyone and was crowned the Season 18 winner during the first-ever remote finale.

Tilghman was surrounded by his wife of 21-years and their eight children in Mississippi as host Carson Daly named him the winner. He said Shelton’s support has “meant the world to me in all of this.”

Streamers fell on Shelton, who tuned in safely from Oklahoma with his family. The country crooner got something sweeter than a trophy – a congratulatory kiss from girlfriend Gwen Stefani.

Despite technical difficulties with Shelton’s microphone, “The Voice” effortlessly combined 21 livestreams from around the nation into one seamless finale after the coronavirus pandemic forced the NBC singing competition to go remote over safety concerns. 

Tilghman’s win makes Shelton, the last original coach on the NBC singing competition, the undisputed champ. Already the winningest coach in the show’s history, Shelton now has seven wins under his cowboy belt. 

Tilghman, a Mississippi pastor, earned four chair-turns during the Blind Auditions with his emotional rendition of Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight.”

Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas and John Legend all appealed to Tilghman’s roots with their church backgrounds, but he ultimately went with Shelton as his coach. 

“I love your voice. I love the passion. I love the range. … I love the hop,” Shelton said before labeling his praise dance the “Holy Hop.” “I think Todd is special and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the finals. He’s got a great voice and a lot of drive.”

Turns out, Shelton knows what he’s talking about.

CammWess and Legend tore the house down with a powerful rendition of Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” Clarkson and Iverson teamed up for Lady Antebellum’s “I Run to You.”

Harris and Shelton jammed out to “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac, symbolizing her journey on “The Voice” after returning nearly a decade after she was originally supposed to audition for Season 2. 

That was not the only performances of the night for the coaches. Jonas joined brothers Joe and Kevin for a virtual performance of the Jonas Brothers’ new reggaeton-inspired single “X.” He also debuted his song “Until We Meet Again.”

Shelton performed his No. 1 single “Nobody But You” with Stefani for Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma; Legend sang “All of Me” for the nursing staff at Los Angeles’ St. Francis Medical Center; and Clarkson performed her new multilingual single “I Dare You,” which includes lyrics in six languages.

Fan-favorite contestants from “The Voice,” including reigning champ Jake Hoot, Kevin Farris, Lauren Duski, Jacob Maxwell, Alexa Cappelli, Mike Jerel, Ricky Duran and Brition Buchanan, spread hope with a joint performance of “What the World Needs Now Is Love.”

Jon Bon Jovi looked cooler than a cucumber while sipping from a red solo cup before Bon Jovi performed “Limitless.” Other guest performances included Lady Antebellum’s “Champagne Night.”

Although the finale is “unlike any we’ve ever done,” Daly said, “the excitement is more.”

Legend added: “We had some adversity this year, but we got to run this show in a brand new format and I don’t think Blake even wants to leave Oklahoma anymore if we can do it like this.”

Asuquo Eton founded talkmediaafrica.com, now one of the most visited TV, music, tech and features website, in 2011. He is also a social media analyst, media and entertainment consultant.

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