The coaches on "The Voice" are still building their teams for Season 25, and this week, Reba McEntire added a 26-year-old country singer named Ashley Bryant to her team. Bryant shared an electric cover of Carrie Underwood's "Last Name," which earned a last-minute chair turn from the Queen of Country Music.
As Bryant took the stage, McEntire looked pleased by the performance, but she wasn't turning her chair quite yet. She shared a glance with the other country coaches Dan + Shay, who also seemed to be mulling over their decision. When it looked as if none of the coaches were going to turn, McEntire pushed her button, causing Bryant to explode in excitement.
When talking to the judges, Bryant revealed that she has 30 percent hearing in her right ear due to a serious car accident she experienced a few years back. In a pre-recorded segment, she shared some of the hardships that come with relearning how to sing with diminished hearing. Back on the audition stage, John Legend encouraged Bryant by mentioning his former team member and "The Voice" winner Maelyn Jarmon, who also had hearing loss.
"Just so you know, the sky's the limit for what you can do on this show," said Legend.
When Dan + Shay spoke to Bryant, Dan Smyers said he chose not to turn because he knew McEntire would be the perfect match for her. Shay Mooney, however, accused McEntire of using her last-minute turn as a strategy.
"I'm a little bummed we didn't turn," Mooney said. "You pulled a sneaky on us and waited until the last minute."
With her spot on McEntire's team secured, Bryant ran in for a hug with her new coach.
"The more she sang, the more I fell in love with her voice and her energy," McEntire said of Bryant. "I was really worried having another coach in the country vein, so I did a last-second push, and I snuck in there without anybody else turning."
