The Voice: Fans push back after Kelly Clarkson's Kavi Nyx elimination as Cut Week looms

The Battle Rounds of The Voice Season 30 are over, and one exit is still getting talked about. Kelly Clarkson sent Kavi Nyx home after her Battle with Brooklyn Marie on the Oct. 26 episode. No other coach used a Steal to save her, and fans have been loudly questioning the decision since.

Here’s what happened, why viewers are upset and what comes next as the NBC competition heads into its new Cut Week.

What happened in the Kelly Clarkson elimination episode?

Kavi Nyx and Brooklyn Marie, both teenagers, sang David Guetta and Sia’s “Titanium” in the final night of Battles, according to NBC Insider and Good Housekeeping. NBC Insider said the two held hands as Clarkson announced her pick.

“You’re both the most unique singers on my team,” Clarkson told them in a clip quoted by Good Housekeeping. “You have a quality to you that’s unlike anyone else in the competition.”

Clarkson chose Brooklyn Marie, and Kavi Nyx was eliminated. Only one Steal was left going into the night, and it belonged to Queen Latifah, NBC Insider reported. So the final Battles were close to do-or-die.

Who else went home on The Voice this week?

NBC Insider listed four eliminations on the Oct. 26 episode:

Kavi Nyx was the sixth artist Team Kelly lost in the Battles. NBC Insider’s tracker also lists Lance Tenazas, Johnnie Kapua, Hazel Gerson, Matthew Chiu and Saade.

Why are fans upset about Kavi Nyx?

Good Housekeeping reported that viewers criticized Clarkson and the other coaches for letting her go without a Steal. One commenter it quoted asked how no one stole “one of the most unique voices and singing styles The Voice has had in years.” Others called her the “clear winner.”

Kavi Nyx first stood out with a Blind Audition of Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower,” which got both Clarkson and Adam Levine to turn their chairs, the outlet said. As of Good Housekeeping’s report, she had not commented publicly on the elimination. On Oct. 25 she had posted on Instagram that she was excited for fans to see her Battle.

What is Cut Week on The Voice?

Season 30 drops the usual Knockouts and Playoffs. Cut Week, which NBC has billed as the “biggest elimination” in the show’s history, takes their place. Here’s how it works, according to NBC Insider and TV Insider:

• Each coach (Clarkson, Riley Green, Adam Levine and Queen Latifah) has seven artists after the Battles and Steals.
• Each coach sends two artists straight to the Live Shows.
• The other five perform for one remaining spot on each team.
• That makes a Top 12. Viewers then vote one more artist into the Lives for a Top 13.

TV Insider put the total at 15 singers eliminated during Cut Week. Because of the public save, one coach will go into the Live Shows with four artists, and the others will have three.

When does The Voice air next?

Cut Week airs as a two-hour episode on Monday, Nov. 2, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and streams the next day on Peacock. The show also moves to the 9-11 p.m. ET slot from then on, according to NBC Insider and TV Insider.

TV Insider listed the Live Shows on Mondays starting Nov. 9, with the semifinals on Dec. 7 and the finale on Dec. 14.

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Earlier coverage: The Voice Season 30: Kelly Clarkson sends Kavi Nyx home as the Battles wrap and Cut Week begins (Oct 27)