"Really difficult"- The Voice coach Gwen Stefani picks her top two for the Live Shows

The Voice season 26 coach Gwen Stefani recently made the difficult decision of selecting her top two contestants to represent her team in the upcoming live shows. Out of her five team members who competed in the Playoffs premiere, Jan Dan and Sydney Sterlace will be advancing to the live semi-finals.

"I feel proud and I feel honored that each one of you guys let me hang out with you and help you. This is really, really difficult. One thing that saves me all the time is that we're all going home and this is just a moment in your life," coach Stefani said before announcing her top two.

The Voice season 26 episode 15, The Playoffs Premiere, premiered on November 19, 2024, on NBC. Coaches Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, and Michael Bublé returned to the panel, with Carson Daly as the host.

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The Voice coach Gwen Stefani makes the tough choice

In The Voice season 26 episode 15, Gwen Stefani showcased her five talented team members: Jake Tankersley, Jose Luis, Jan Dan, Sydney Sterlace, and Gabrielle Zabosky. Despite the immense talent among her team members, she had to pick just two artists who would advance to the live shows.

Gwen Stefani enlisted Machine Gun Kelly as her superstar advisor for the Playoffs, who was deeply involved during the rehearsals, bringing his expertise to the table. He even did his homework on the team members, ensuring he was well-prepared to guide them alongside Stefani.

Stefani was having difficulty coaching Jose Luis, so she asked Machine Gun Kelly to guide the contestant. Kelly, already familiar with Luis' journey and performances on the show, shared a few insightful pointers to help refine his approach.

Jose Luis kicked off the episode and performed No More Drama by Mary J. Blige. He was followed by his The Voice season 26 teammate Jake Tankersley, who presented his rendition of The Painter by Cody Johnson.

Further, Gabrielle Zabosky delivered a heartfelt performance, adopting a slowed-down approach as she sang to the piano rendition of Roxette's Listen to Your Heart. Meanwhile, Jan Dan moved Stefani to tears with his emotional rendition of Kansas' Dust in the Wind.

Sydney Sterlace then concluded the face-off with her rendition of Taylor Swift's Betty, as she hoped to showcase her storytelling abilities through her performance.

Before announcing the "difficult" decision of choosing two contestants, The Voice coach Gwen Stefani shared heartfelt words about her team. She expressed how proud and honored she was to have all five artists on her team, adding that it was a joy to support them on their journey.

"Whatever you do with this moment is going to be the next part of your life. That does give me comfort. I'm going by who I think I can coach and help grow into that identity that they already are showing me that they have," Stefani added.

For her first pick, Stefani chose Jan Dan, describing him as "too unique." The Voice coach shared that Jan had "so much taste," along with a perspective that made her want to give him the opportunity to share with the American audience in the live shows.

For her second pick, she chose Sydney Sterlace, expressing that the contestant moved her and she wanted to help further develop her skills.

"I had to go with Sydney. It was just a gut feeling. She moves me. She gets on that stage and I want to see more... I just can't let her go home. These playoffs are just so emotional," Stefani concluded.

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The Voice season 26 episode 16, The Playoffs Part 2, will premiere on November 25 on NBC.