Niall Horan is sitting out The Voice Season 28 finale performance, and yeah, the timing is brutal. He has two finalists on his team heading into the last night, but he will not be on stage with them for the group number. There is a straightforward reason, though.
What happened
During Part 1 of the finale, Carson Daly told the audience Niall was really under the weather and would not be at the live show. Niall chimed in to say he was feeling a little bit better, but doctors told him to go on vocal rest. Translation: no singing, no pushing it, and no finale performance.
What it means for Team Niall
Team Niall has two finalists this season: Dek of Hearts and Aiden Ross. The plan had been a group routine with Niall, but he will not join them on stage. In his absence, Reba McEntire is expected to steer the performance and keep the train on the tracks. She also gave Niall a classy shoutout for putting his health first:
"I am very proud of you, Niall, for making sure you take care of yourself because we want you around with your beautiful voice for many years to come."
Fans are bummed, but get it
Viewers were ready for a Niall-and-team moment and took to social to vent. Think: crushed about losing a Niall/Aiden duet, disappointed the finale will feel a little less complete, but ultimately rooting for him to rest and come back strong. The general vibe: protect the voice, go win the trophy anyway.
The quick version
- Niall Horan will not perform in The Voice Season 28 finale because he is sick and on doctor-ordered vocal rest.
- He has two finalists, Dek of Hearts and Aiden Ross, but will not be with them for the team performance.
- Reba McEntire is expected to step in and handle the performance side of things while Niall recovers.
- The Voice Season 28 finale Part 2 airs Tuesday on NBC.