Chicago native and fan favorite Katie Kadan came in third place on the season finale of “The Voice” on Tuesday.
Upon the announcement of Kadan as the second runner-up, audible gasps and other sounds of surprise could be heard from the audience.
Kadan’s coach John Legend appeared visibly surprised at the outcome as well, with host Carson Daly commenting, “A lot of surprise here.”
“You are a brilliant man and, more than that, your kindness and encouragement has made me believe in myself more than ever,” Kadan said to Legend before the results were announced.
Jake Hoot, a 33-year-old Cookeville, Tennessee, native, emerged victorious, garnering coach Kelly Clarkson her third win.
Hoot is notable for being a “one-chair turn,” meaning only Clarkson expressed interest in having him on her team during his first audition.
In second place was 29-year-old Ricky Duran, a member of Blake Shelton’s team from Worcester, Massachusetts. Rose Short from Killeen, Texas, the last contestant standing on Gwen Stefani’s team, landed in fourth.
Chicago native Kadan emerged as an early frontrunner in the competition, with her audition of Aretha Franklin’s “Baby I Love You” causing all four judges to spin their chairs and fight for Kadan to have a spot on their teams. She eventually chose Legend, who mentored last season’s winner, Maelyn Jarmon.
During the second half of the Season 17 finale, Kadan sang a duet with Adam Lambert, a piano ballad version of Cher’s “Believe.”
Earlier she performed Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing,” a new original track entitled “All Better,” and a duet of “Merry Christmas Baby” with Legend.
“Every single time, you never let us down,” said Legend after her performance of “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.” “Not only did you never let us down, you just dazzled us every single time [this season].”
Kadan began singing in choirs at a young age but didn’t begin performing in clubs until the age of 30.
According to her contestant bio, a lack of confidence prevented Kadan from singing in front of an audience. After receiving an overwhelmingly positive response at an open mic, she was encouraged regularly to pursue gigs.
“Working with John, I’ve learned to be even more confident, to trust myself,” Kadan said in a recorded segment during Monday’s broadcast.
Kadan also worked as a vocal coach at School of Rock Chicago, a performance-based music education program.
This season’s finale marked the first time in seven seasons that each coach had a contestant in the finals.