Mississippi pastor Todd Tilghman is the Season 18 winner of The Voice, thanks in large part to his coach, Blake Shelton. After earning a four-chair turnaround during Todd’s blind audition, Blake beat out Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas and John Legend in convincing Todd to be on his team, forming not just a professional relationship, but a personal one as well.
“I think our partnership between Todd’s energy and my lack of energy together, we make one normal human being,” Blake said in a press conference after Todd’s win. “It’s the perfect combination of dudes. Honestly, I can’t wait to be in the same room with Todd, and hang out with him. I want to perform with him on stage.”
The last several episodes of The Voice were filmed remotely, because of the coronavirus pandemic, but he is eager to join Todd on stage as soon as it is safe.
“I want to get past whatever we gotta do here to get past this pandemic and get back to normal life, and get on stage with this guy, because he truly is a rush to be around,” Blake continued. “I want to sing with this guy. That’s what I’m looking forward to. I know we did it on the show, and we did it this way, but you gotta do it the right way.”
Todd is also eager to spend more time with Blake, who he vows he will stay in close contact with now that The Voice is over.
“I know that we haven’t spent a whole lot of time together, in the flesh, but I really do feel like we’re friends,” Todd said. “That makes the biggest difference in things like this. I feel like I’ve made a friend in Blake, and hopefully he feels like he’s made a friend in me, and I feel like that’s the most important thing to move from.”
Todd is a father of eight kids, which might be why he is especially eager to join Blake at his Oklahoma ranch.
“The minute they tell us we can, I am ready to go. I’ve got the car gassed up right now,” he said, adding with a laugh, “Well, the minivan.”
For the Monday night episode heading into the finale, Todd performed MercyMe‘s “I Can Only Imagine” and an original song, “Long Way Home.”
