‘The Voice’ Season 23: Kelly Clarkson Absolutely Roasted Niall Horan for Losing ‘The X Factor’
Kelly Clarkson and Niall Horan have similar histories. Both famous musicians started their careers in singing competitions and later became coaches on The Voice. However, as Clarkson recently pointed out, there’s a difference between them: Horan didn’t win his competition. She teased Horan for losing The X Factor as they discussed their experience in a recent episode of The Voice.
When was Niall Horan on ‘The X Factor’?
Horan got his start on The X Factor when he was 16 years old in 2010. He made it through his audition and later got eliminated during boot camp. However, the judges brought him back as part of a group with fellow eliminated singers Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Liam Payne. Styles came up with the idea to call their boy band One Direction.
One Direction became a fan-favorite on The X Factor, making it all the way to the finals. They finished the competition in third place.
Kelly Clarkson joked about Niall Horan losing ‘The X Factor’ in a hilarious moment on ‘The Voice’
On Monday, April 3’s episode of The Voice, Clarkson commented on her usual tactic of pitching her own singing competition experience to get artists to join her team. As fans of American Idol know, she was the first winner of the show in 2002, and it launched her successful pop-country music career. Now that Horan is on The Voice, he’s started pitching his experience on The X Factor.
“You kind of ruined it a little bit for me, because I’m always the one that’s like, ‘I’ve been in a singing competition,'” Clarkson said.
Clarkson initially said that Horan and One Direction won The X Factor, but she corrected herself when Horan sheepishly reminded her that they didn’t.
“You should lead with, ‘I can help you get to third place!'” Clarkson joked.
The joke was all in good fun, and Horan didn’t take offense. After all, One Direction didn’t need the win. They went on to become one of the most successful boy bands of all time, releasing hits like “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Best Song Ever” between 2012 and 2016. After their split, the members each launched their own successful solo careers. Now, Horan hopes to use One Direction fans to help him win The Voice.
Niall Horan shared how his experience helped him coach on ‘The Voice’
Horan’s experience on The X Factor has already helped him be a better coach on The Voice. During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the singer shared that it has made him more empathic toward the artists on his team.
“I’ve been on a show like that,” he said. “I understand how it works. That’s how I got half of my team. They understand I’ve got that empathy with them. I was that 16-year-old knowing that, that person there has got my future in their hands. That’s the hardest thing about The Voice, is I have to make end-game decisions over two singers that are standing in front of me knowing I have their future in my hands.”
New episodes of The Voice Season 23 air on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.
