For two consecutive seasons, America has chosen a member of Kelly Clarkson's team as the winner of The Voice. That makes Clarkson undefeated ever since she became a Coach in Season 14. As for what the secret to her success so far has been, that's unknown, but Season 15 winner of The Voice, Chevel Shepherd, had nothing but great things to say about her. When asked what made Clarkson such a great Coach, her response was simple:
She is so easy to be yourself around. It's not like talking to a celebrity, it's like talking to your sister or your best friend. She's so easy to just be open with and she's a great teacher. She teaches very well, and I am a very open person and I love to learn new things about music, especially.
Kelly Clarkson doesn't portray herself as the type to be too good to talk to others, and Chevel Shepherd confirmed that the former American Idol winner is just as pleasant off-screen as she is on. Shepherd said she appreciated the ability to feel so close to Clarkson, which may have helped her learn more from Clarkson and propelled her to victory in The Voice Season 15.
Chevel Shepherd loved working with Kelly Clarkson so much that the 16-year-old out of New Mexico listed her times working on songs and preparing with the artist as some of her favorite moments of the competition. Shepherd explained a that lot of that is due, again, to Clarkson's ability to coach and spoke more about how she learned from her and what the experience means to her.
Every time I learned something new from Kelly...It's an experience that I'll never forget because not many teenagers get the opportunity. Not many people get the opportunity...It's really cool and I feel very blessed.
Shepherd's willingness to learn and absorb Kelly Clarkson's lessons paid off, obviously, as she found herself in the top two with minutes to go in The Voice finale. When the cameras cut to break, Shepherd said she just hung out with runner-up Chris Kroeze, and they both chatted a bit before Clarkson (who didn't believe she would win) and Blake Shelton came up to see them quick and congratulate them.
When Chevel Shepherd was declared the winner of The Voice, Kelly Clarkson was right alongside the rest of the Shepherd family congratulating her on her victory. Shepherd revealed what Clarkson told her as the confetti rained down around them and the crowd roared, and what they talked about is a bit surprising.
She was super, super proud of me. We were both super excited, then we both were already starting [to] talk about what was going to happen and for the future.
That's right, Kelly Clarkson and Chevel Shepherd were already discussing what their next move would be moments after successfully winning The Voice. It's an acknowledgment, perhaps, on both ends that while a win on the program is nice, the journey to a successful music career has only just begun. Shepherd may have a long journey ahead of her, but she's seemingly got a superstar supporting her on the side to help her progress along the way.
Season 16 of The Voice is already just a couple of months away, and a new set of competitors will strut their stuff when the series returns on Monday, February 25. There are other things to enjoy on television in the meantime, so be sure to visit both our fall and midseason premiere guides to see what is on the way.
