Kelly Clarkson landed her third win as a judge on The Voice U.S. on Tuesday night, when her contestant Jake Hoot was crowned victor of the latest series.
The 31-year-old singer from Cookeville, Tennessee beat Gwen Stefani's Rose Short, John Legend's Katie Kadan and Blake Shelton's Ricky Duran, who came in fourth, third and second place respectively, to take home the season 17 crown.
It's the third win for judge and coach Kelly, who previously won season 14 with Brynn Cartelli and season 15 with Chevel Shepherd.
Of Jake's victory, Kelly told reporters backstage: "I just sat there and encouraged him. I'm a pretty good cheerleader because I love humans. I literally am a glorified cheerleader y'all, I did nothing. He did everything."
Kelly was the only judge to turn her chair for Jake during the blind audition stage of the contest.
And referencing that fact, Kelly also marked Jake's success by tweeting on Tuesday evening: "Congratulations @jakehootmusic!! #OneChairTurn."
Jake, who performed with Little Big Town during the star-studded finale, spoke to reporters after his victory and said: "From the get-go, for a little bit, I didn't think it was real. Every step of the way, I'm like, 'Alright honey, I'll be home next week' or 'I'll be home after battles' or 'I'll be home after knockouts.' I continued to doubt myself and Kelly continued to encourage me.
"If I can say anything, it's stop doubting yourself. Get out of your comfort zone. Get out there and take a chance and there's no telling what you can do."
The Voice finale also featured performances from Jennifer Hudson, the Black Eyed Peas, Luke Combs, Lady Antebellum, and Dua Lipa.
