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Reba McEntire Positively "Giddy" Over First The Voice Win With Asher HaVon (EXCLUSIVE)
The triumphant pair give NBC Insider their reactions to the win right after the big finale reveal.
Spoilers for The Voice Season 25 winner.
It's been an exciting 17 weeks of The Voice Season 25 surprises, incredible singing and triumphs for the 40 artists who made it through the Blind Auditions all the way through to the Top 5 finalists.
In just her second season on The Voice, Coach Reba McEntire found herself in the enviable position of having two of her singers — Asher HaVon and Josh Sanders in the final two. That twist of fate ensured that "Queen" Reba McEntire would achieve her first win as a The Voice coach.
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And that winner was Asher HaVon who came out of a two-year singing retirement to try out for the show and now he's the winner of the whole shebang!
Asher HaVon and Reba McEntire dissect his final songs which led to his ultimate win
On the red carpet line right after the season finale, the 31-year-old HaVon shared that he felt "broken" coming into this competition and utterly unsure of whether he even belonged on The Voice. But his connection with McEntire helped him find his sea legs and confidence which bloomed throughout the weeks of the season.
HaVon admitted to NBC Insider that he felt he hit his stride with his last competition songs on May 20, singing Donna Summer's "Last Dance" and Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You."
"You know what, when I was given the songs that I was given, I was terrified, as I always am for every song," HaVon shared. "Reba was hosting the CMA Awards but regardless of her busy schedule, she sent Josh and I our videos critiquing us and giving us her notes. And I just felt like it was the perfect songs for the perfect time.
"I had never done an upbeat disco song on the show. I felt like I was ready to show, 'I'm a little sassy now,'" he emphasized. "You know, I like to stand in one spot with these capes, but I can wear some Bobo pants and heels too. We thought that was good."
He continued, "And then I had been asking for 'I Will Always Love You' since I got on the show. I just believe, as Reba said, it was the right time to give me that song. She coached me. I think I was excited like a bucking horse, so I went in, 'And IIIIIII.....' And she went, 'Wait, wait, wait! Let's slow down. Tell the story of the song." And so she made the right decision to give me these songs, for sure."
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For her part, McEntire added, "When he wanted to do 'I Will Always Love You' — and who doesn't love that song? — when he started singing it, Paul, and I looked at each other like, 'Oh, well, okay. Yeah, he's got it. But he's gotta build.' Having such a powerful voice, he's got to tease the audience. He's got to tease the ears that are listening. Have them say, "I want more, I want more" and then, give it to them. And he did. It's just incredible."
What did Reba McEntire think about her Team Reba finale domination?
The only bittersweet aspect to McEntire's win is that it meant her other singer, Josh Sanders, got second place.
Asked where her head was when she saw her guys on that stage as the last two singers standing, McEntire said, "I just love them both. I was a proud momma.
"They're so talented, so I wasn't surprised they made it to the top two," she confessed. "I really wasn't. Very proud. Very giddy. And I didn't vote for either one. I didn't vote throughout the whole competition. I couldn't do that. It's kind of like you just can't pick which kid you love the most. And so it was the way with Josh and Asher. I love them both. They are different. But so gifted, talented."
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Next up, HaVon gets to make some big choices about where he's like to steer his career next. He admitted that he has not had that conversation with McEntire. "Not yet because I didn't know I was going to be here!" he laughed. "But now that I'm here, I'm going to have the conversations with Reba."
"After we get a good night's sleep, a cheeseburger and a strawberry malt, then we'll talk about it," McEntire closed with a big smile.
