10 Most Shocking Eliminations on ‘The Voice’

Coaches Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, and returning coach Christina Aguilera have just settled back into their big red chairs for Season 10 of The Voice. Teams are filling up fast with the blind auditions and these coaches are ready to push their button for the next unique, angelic, or powerhouse voice that takes the stage. No one has yet to be eliminated, stolen, or had to sing for their life. Of course it wouldn’t be a competition without these, but once contestants have sung their way into so many hearts, it’s hard to see them go. And some, we might argue, deserved to stay.

As we head into Season 10 of The Voice, here’s a look at the 10 most shocking eliminations in Voice history.

1. Jordis Unga, Season 2

The American rock singer from Forest Lake, Minnesota got three out of the four judges to turn, saying “I want you,” during her blind audition, and ultimately chose Team Blake. She first won America’s heart by singing “Maybe I’m Amazed” by Paul McCartney. After Unga performed an emotional rendition of “A Little Bit Stronger” by Sara Evans, Coach Blake reluctantly eliminated her in the quarterfinal round.

2. Paulina Cerrilla, Season 3

The YouTube sensation from Houston, Texas landed a spot on Team Christina with the potential to make it to the end. However, after Cerrilla was paired up with Dez Duron for Christina’s first battle, singing Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are,” she was shockingly eliminated. To most it seemed way too soon for the young star to leave the show.

3. Judith Hill, Season 4

The soulful singer from Los Angeles, California auditioned singing “What a Girl Wants” by Christina Aguilera and got all four judges to turn their chairs but chose to join Team Adam. During the battle rounds, Hill faced off with Karina Iglesias, singing “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” and paired against Orlando Dixon, singing “Always on my Mind” in the knockout rounds – both of which she won. She was considered a frontrunner in the competition for most of the season and was surprisingly eliminated after her Top 8 performance.

4. Matthew Schuler, Season 5

The gospel singer from Levittown, Pennsylvania quickly got all four chairs to turn in his blind audition singing Young the Giant’s “Cough Syrup” and joined Team Christina. Schuler’s rendition of “Hallelujah” made Voice history after remaining in the top 100 on the iTunes songs chart for weeks. Although he continued to perform well, most believe he was cut because he failed to reenact the same praise-worthy performance. During the Top 6 live show, Schuler fell into the bottom two with James Wolpert, who managed to get a last-minute save on Twitter.

5. Sisaundra Lewis, Season 6

The powerhouse singer from Haines City, Florida took the audition stage performing Aretha Franklin’s “Ain’t No Way,” getting all four chars to turn and opted for Team Blake. She was ultimately eliminated during the quarterfinals. A few Twitter fans argued that The Voice might have just forfeited the right to call itself “The Voice,” considering Lewis was undoubtedly one of the most talented singers to ever come across The Voice stage.

6. Reagan James, Season 7

The 16-year-old from Burleson, Texas shocked the judges with her uniquely beautiful rendition of “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran and landed a spot on Team Blake. She continued to deliver throughout the show and especially shocked the audience with her version of Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” during which she rapped in. However, her performance of Nelly Furtado’s “I’m Like A Bird” in her Top 10 performance failed to win over voters on Twitter.

7. Taylor Phelan, Season 7

The Indie singer from Dallas, Texas got all four judges to turn their chairs after signing “Sweater Weather” by The Neighborhood and ultimately landed on Team Adam. The powerhouse won his battle round against Jordy Searcy singing “Breakeven” by The Script and had the potential to win the show. However, America was left with a heartbreaking elimination after Phelan was cut in the live playoffs.

8. Kimberly Nichole, Season 8

Nichole gave a powerful audition singing Tina Turner’s “Nutbush City Limits.” Both Blake Shelton and Pharrell Williams turned around and she chose Team Pharrell. After advancing to the Top 8, Nichole showed variety in her voice by singing everything from the Etta James hit “Something’s Got A Hold On Me” to “Creep” by Radiohead. After her Top 6 performance Nichole was placed in the bottom two, along with India Carney. She sang “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes for her Instant Save performance but was appallingly defeated by Carney.

9. Amy Vachal, Season 9

The indie singer from Brooklyn, New York stole the hearts of the judges during her audition singing, “Dream a Little Dream of Me.” She chose Pharrell Williams as her coach but was later stolen by Adam Levine. Vachal’s performances charted steadily on the Billboard’s Digital Songs chart, including her version of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space.” After being a front-runner with her Indie covers of popular songs, it was a major upset when Vachal was sent home in the semifinals.

10. Mark Hood, Season 9

The R&B singer from Chicago, Illinois got all four coaches to turn during auditions when he sang, “Use Me” by Bill Withers and secured a spot on Team Pharrell. Hood’s first battle pairing was one of the strongest as he faced off with Celeste Betton singing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” He then out-sang Siahna Im in the knockout rounds and advanced to the Top 12 after performing Justin Beiber’s “What Do You Mean?” To everyone’s surprise, Hood was eliminated in the Live Shows after singing “Signed, Sealed, Delivered.”