The Voice: John Legend turns chair and comes face-to-face with doppelgänger contestant Talakai

John Legend was shocked when he came face to face with singer Talakai, who looked like his doppelgänger, on Monday’s two-hour episode of The Voice on NBC.

“I look at myself,” said John, 44. “As a bigger, prettier person of myself on stage.”

Talakai, 34, of Sacramento, said before taking the stage that he really wanted to be on Team Legend because many people tell him he looks like the Grammy-winning singer who recently renewed his wedding vows with wife Chrissy Teigen.

He planned to jokingly tell John they were cousins ​​when he turned around. Talakai also said that after his grandparents died when he was ten, he lived in several foster homes and was tragically abused physically and mentally.

Ultimately, after being kicked out of a foster home for returning after curfew, he was adopted by his good friend’s mother. He said the love his adoptive mother showed him changed his life.

Talakai sang the song Stay With Me by Sam Smith.

John and new coach Reba McEntire, 68, both turned their chairs for him, but Talakai chose John as his coach.

“I have to take a selfie with him,” John said.

John said excitedly that he had his twin brother by his side.

“My long lost twin brother, I finally found him,” John said.

“He was the height you always wanted,” 30-year-old Niall Horan joked.

“He was the me I dream about,” John said.

Part three of the Blind Auditions began with Stee, 34, from Bluffton, South Carolina, saying he was nervous about performing without his band. He sang Maroon 5’s hit Sugar.

All four coaches turned around, but Niall realized he had been blocked by John.

“I don’t have a chance, but at some point I will steal you,” Niall said.

Stee told John that his cousin Matthew was his biggest fan, but passed away three weeks ago and that he dedicated his entire performance to him. Stee chose John as his coach.

Chechi Sarai, 32, of Pontiac, Michigan, was next. A first-generation American, she said she originally went to school to study medicine, but music was her true passion. She sang Lovin’ You and within seconds all the judges turned around.

“I can already see a finalist in you,” Niall said.

“You had complete control of the entire room and my heart in that moment,” said Gwen Stefani, 54. “I felt like I was watching a Grammy performance. I’d like to be your coach.’

Chechi chose Gwen, who was dressed in a black and white two-piece plaid outfit with a long matching jacket and sported a blonde bob and black and white painted nails. The No Doubt singer jumped out of her chair and danced around festively.

‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ Gwen screamed.

Niall and Gwen both pressed the button as they heard the first notes of next participant Reid Zingale, 27, from Nashville, who sang and played guitar to Noah Cyrus’ song July. John later turned his chair too.

“Reid, that was absolutely magical,” Niall said.

Reid picked Niall. Niall, dressed in an all-white outfit, did an Irish jig back to his seat in celebration.

Claudia B, 24, who lives in Nashville, sang Michael Jackson’s Human Nature and Reba, Niall and John turned their chairs almost immediately. Claudia said she had met Reba before when she was working as a waitress and waiting at her table.

“Was she a good tipper?” Niall asked.

“Absolutely,” Claudia said.

Claudia chose John and he was excited. He ran over and gave her a Legend sweatshirt.

Mac Royals, 30, of Wrightsville, Arkansas, was next. He said his father was locked up when he was six years old. He said his father encouraged him to pursue music when he was released, but sadly passed away in 2020. Mac chose John Mayer’s Gravity for his blind audition.

John, Gwen, Niall and Reba all turned around.

‘Four chairs!’ said Johannes.

“That was such a beautiful rendition of that song,” John said.

“Mac off the scale was great,” Niall said.

Reba told him she lived in Oklahoma so they were practically neighbors.

‘To wait. I live in Oklahoma too, Mac, just so you know, part time,” Gwen said.

Reba said he would get her tater tots if he picked her while the other judges held up their personalized sweatshirts to tempt him. Mac said he used to watch the Reba show with his grandmother and decided to go with her.

‘Are you coming with me?’ Reba said.

Reba ran to the podium and the new coach gave him some tater tots. John said his wife Chrissy, 37, was going to sing Reba’s theme song when she met her.

Reba, Gwen and Niall all turned their chairs almost simultaneously for Noah Spencer from Richland, Virginia, who sang Zach Bryan’s song Something In The Orange.

“I like the gravel in your voice,” Reba said.

Niall told him that he would love to be his coach when John started playing the song Ramblin’ Man by the Allman Brothers Band to say that Niall was wandering. Noah didn’t care and chose Niall as his coach.

John wondered if his trick had backfired.

“Maybe he got picked because I made fun of him,” John said.

Tom Nitti, 31, a country artist from New Hartford, New York, went next. He said he joined the Army and served in Afghanistan, where he suffered a traumatic brain injury from a mortar shell and later received the Purple Heart. Tom sang Signed, Sealed and Delivered by Stevie Wonder and Reba turned in the final moments of the song.

“I’m really excited to have you on my team,” Reba said.

Reba also turned for the next singer, Alison Albrecht, who sang the song Ironic by Alanis Morissette.

Niall told Gwen he missed her husband Blake Shelton, 47, and was coming to their ranch.

“I know you’ll never come,” Gwen said.

“Yes, this is Hollywood,” Niall admitted. “To be honest, everyone is full of false promises.”

Charlotte, who goes by Iceberg, 34, from Essex, New York, went next. She sang I Will Follow You Into The Dark for her blind audition, but none of the judges turned around.

Rudi, 28, from San Antonio, Texas, who works in her father’s auto body shop washing cars, was the final performer of the episode, singing Lesley Gore’s song You Don’t Own Me. All the judges turned around, but Niall blocked John.

‘That was so good!’ Gwen screamed.

Gwen was excited that John was blocked.

“I think I should be your coach,” Gwen said. “Don’t you think you and I could rule the world?”

Rudi told them she worked at her father’s auto body shop and jokingly said she could clean their cars if necessary.

“I lived with my parents until I was 26 and I was in No Doubt for nine years before we got on the radio, so I talked about that,” Gwen said. ‘I just think it’s amazing that you’ve come this far. I feel like these are things we can learn from each other, so pick me.”

“I guess I’ll have to go with my girl Gwen,” Rudi said.

The Voice returns Tuesday on NBC.