Kelly Clarkson was the only coach to turn her chair during Jake Hoot’s blind audition on season 17 of The Voice — and it looks like it’s a decision that’s paying off! Jake has impressed the coaches and viewers with his performances all season long, and was the most-streamed artist from the show on Apple Music after the Nov. 18 and Nov. 25 episodes (the results for this week’s Dec. 2 episode have not been revealed yet). It’s super uncommon to see a country artist like Jake on anyone’s team but Blake Shelton’s, but he and Kelly have made a great pair, and he could not be more thrilled that she’s his coach
“Kelly encourages us to do our best and gives us all the confidence in the world,” Jake explained to HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “She gets us ready to perform and be our best selves. She has been through all of this [on American Idol], and that provides a whole new look than what the other coaches can bring. She is so involved in every part of our performances — the songs, the look, the feel. She has helped me tremendously! She’s great because she’s lived our side of things, so it allows her to help us out in an amazing way.”
This is only Kelly’s fourth season as a coach on The Voice, but she already has a great track record on the show — she won her first two seasons (14 and 15) with her artists, Brynn Cartelli and Chevel Shepherd. Now, with Jake on her team, she’s definitely in the running to get that third win! The 31-year-old is one of ten artists left on the show. Two more will be eliminated during the Dec. 3 episode.
“The best part [of the show] is the friends you meet and the relationships you make with so many people in front and behind the camera,” Jake gushed. “It has really made things so cool and really has made this process so amazing.” Regardless of the outcome of The Voice, we sense great things in the future for Jake!