Country-singing "The Voice" contestant Tom Nitti left the show ahead of its Nov. 27 episode, cutting Team Reba down to five members as Reba McEntire made tough choices to pick her three representatives for the Top 12.
Nitti's been candid about his decision to drop out of the contest, explaining a situation involving his ex-wife and his kids.
Since leaving season 24, Nitti's remained in contact with McEntire.
"We've been emailing back and forth and all of our hearts went out to him 'cause he couldn't finish the competition," McEntire told "Entertainment Tonight". "He is so strong, so good. He's going to be watching and cheering all of us on, but our hearts are with him."
Nitti had nothing but positive things to say about "The Voice" crew in a chat with the Utica Observer Dispatch.
"The producers on the show treat you like gold," Nitti said. "And Reba is the most genuine person— she is the same on TV as she is in real life."
Nitti made friends with fellow contestants, namely Huntley and Team Reba's Jacquie Roar.
"I never believed that things were meant to be until this all happened," Nitti said. "The most positive thing from my experience on the show was the camaraderie I found among other vocalists."
This was in part because of lessons learned by being surrounded by other extremely gifted dreamers.
"You become humble when you're placed in a group of people equally as talented as you are," Nitti added. "There's no one on the show who is better than anyone else. It's just about the quality of a performance at a given time."
Since leaving the show, Nitti has been working on a song about his experience that's titled "Redemption Road."
"I'm hoping one day my kids will be able to see why I did what I did instead of just thinking that I quit," he said.
