Austin Gilbert has officially found a new home—on Team Reba McEntire! On the October 13 episode of The Voice, Team Michael Bublé’s two country singers, Austin Gilbert and Rob Cole, went head-to-head in the Battle Round.
The pair teamed up to perform Blake Shelton’s Honeybee, wowing their coach during rehearsals and leaving Bublé with a tough decision to make, one he admitted came down to “star potential.”
When the duo hit the stage, the performance had the coaches raving.
“I felt the spirit of Blake Shelton while y’all were singing that,” Snoop Dogg joked, praising both singers’ impressive vocal skills.
Niall Horan called Gilbert’s performance unforgettable but said he’d choose Cole as the winner, noting his vocals were “clear as day.”
Reba McEntire, however, had a different plan—she was ready to steal Gilbert for her team.
Bublé was equally impressed, calling Gilbert’s voice “sweet” and “beautiful,” but ultimately awarded the win to Cole, who delivered what Bublé described as his “best performance yet.”
“Rob is my country superstar,” Bublé told the cameras after making the difficult choice.
As Gilbert thanked Bublé and hugged him goodbye, Reba hit her button to steal him, sending him into a mix of shock and excitement.
It wasn’t entirely out of the blue—during his Blind Audition, Reba hadn’t turned her chair, leaving Gilbert to pick between Bublé and Horan. But she had teased him back then, saying, “Let them fight over you and I will steal you later.” And true to her word, that’s exactly what she did.
After collecting himself, Gilbert returned to the stage, where Reba welcomed him warmly: “Your enthusiasm, your big heart, your gorgeous voice—you’re a cowboy. I’m so thrilled that you’re now a part of Team Reba.”
“Thank you so much for making my dreams come true,” Gilbert said, eyes shining. “I’m going to make you proud, ma’am.”
Later, Reba shared with the cameras, “I love everything about Austin. He has such a childlike spirit, and his voice is incredible. That’s why I wanted to steal him. I think he’s going to be amazing for my team.”
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