The Voice winner Asher HaVon, 31, reveals ‘hurtful’ experience during the reality show that left him in TEARS: ‘I cried so bad’

The Voice winner Asher HaVon has revealed the heartbreaking moment during the grueling reality show experience that left him in tears as he opened up about what it really felt like to be crowned the winner of season 25.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Asher, 31, from Selma, Alabama, spoke about his victory, sharing the many lessons he learned from his country singer star coach Reba McEntire throughout the process.

But while the gospel singer was full of praise for the music legend, he confessed that there was one part of his show experience that he really struggled with: the elimination rounds.

When asked if there was any aspect of the show he wouldn’t miss, Asher quickly drew attention to the elimination process – and the “pain” he felt seeing his fellow contestants sent home.

“To have to see the people you’ve become so close with go home…” Asher, who ended his run on The Voice with a performance of Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald’s On My Own, said.

Asher, 31, from Selma, Alabama, stormed to victory in the season 25 finale alongside his coach, country legend Reba McEntire

‘They have the same dream. You had the same ambition, the same drive. They got up early, just like you. They have practiced hard just like you. You’ve seen them do the work, and then it’s over.

‘That hurts. I cried. I cried so much. Literally every round. They really were, they really are my friends.”

Speaking about his win – which saw him storm to victory over fellow Reba coachee Josh Sanders, who finished in second place – Asher said he believes it was his unwavering ‘belief’ in himself that helped propel him to first place to rise.

“I would just say, what’s for you is really for you,” he said. “I truly believe that what’s for you is for you, and that will go against all odds. And I know there are always a lot of setbacks, but if you really believe in who you are and what you are, I believe you will understand. Really and truly. I mean, I did. I believed it.’

But while many of his fellow contestants marked the show’s finale with a rowdy afterparty, Asher opted for a somewhat tame way to celebrate his win: a good night’s sleep.

“I went back to the hotel and went to bed,” he admitted. ‘I was so excited to just lay down on my pillow, turn off the lights and just sleep, without being able to call the next morning. I slept so well. That was my party.’

Now, days after his win, Asher is already looking to the future – and what his music career has in store, showing that he has plans to tackle all genres rather than committing to gospel music for good.

‘I have so many voices in my throat that everything can change from baritone to tenor to alto to soprano [and from] from pop to rock to ballads,” he said.

“I can sing it all and I can still be myself and give you all the Tina Turner you want. I can be myself and give you as much Whitney Houston as you want. So I think this throat will serve. Really and truly.’

He added that he is already considering paying tribute to Whitney in a very modern way: by creating an AI collaboration with the late singer.

Speaking about the experience, Asher (seen with runner-up Josh Sanders) admitted that the elimination rounds during the process often brought him to tears

The gospel singer heaped praise on his coach Reba, saying he will ‘always’ consider himself a ‘student in her class’

“Well, because I love artificial intelligence, all things futuristic, I might want to dial it all back a little bit and the person I would like to bring back to hear her would be Whitney Houston,” he said.

But while he may be confident about his future, the singer insists he is aware that a career in music may not be an easy path – no matter how talented he is.

“Things will happen. “I think I’m prepared for it all,” he said. “But I think facing it, working it out, rising above it or just moving on, it is what it is.

‘I don’t need to change. I’m really nice in real life and I really like being nice and I really like nice people, and I can be in this industry and be so nice and be guided by my heart and I don’t have to change.

“And so I’m excited to come back in ten years and talk to you as the same old Asher you’re talking to today.”

As for his relationship with coach Reba, Asher says he hopes to continue learning from the music icon for many years to come, saying he will “always” consider himself her “student.”

‘You know what? I’m not done learning yet. “I will always be a student in that woman’s class as long as I live, and even when I feel like I have graduated, I will still need refinement,” she said.

“So how do I fine-tune, and even if I do fine-tune, how do I do it? What is the lifespan? How can I be doing this for 30 and 40 years? So as long as there is a Reba, I can get information.”

Reba and Asher’s close bond was evident for all to see during the finale, as the country singer gushed over her talented protégé shortly before his win.

“I’ve watched you grow,” she told him. ‘I haven’t seen you change your personality or your talent, but your happiness. I know you had such a great time here at The Voice, and everyone had a great time with you, especially me. No matter what happens in the next few minutes, I love you with all my heart.”