Queen Latifah Picks Lillie Kolich As “The Voice” Rivals Chase Kayleigh Mathews

Queen Latifah kept Lillie Kolich on her team Monday, but her decision set off a fight between Kelly Clarkson and Riley Green to keep Kayleigh Mathews on “The Voice.”

The two coaches pressed their steal buttons after Latifah picked Kolich as the winner of their “Girl Crush” battle. Both singers had earned four-chair turns in the blind auditions, so the pairing forced Latifah to cut an artist every coach had wanted.

Mathews earned a second path through the contest, though the October 12 episode ended before viewers learned which new team she chose. That answer was held for Tuesday’s show.

Latifah based her choice on what made Kolich’s voice stand out. She praised a note that helped settle a close call after the two sang the Little Big Town hit.

Clarkson favored Mathews, while Adam Levine leaned toward Kolich because she had risen to the challenge of a song better suited to her opponent. Once Latifah made her choice, Clarkson pressed first, then Green joined the bid to steal Mathews.

Green reminded Mathews that he had tried to recruit her at her first audition and urged her to join him for a shot at winning.

“I have won a competition. I promise you. I can do it. I think you should pick me,” Clarkson told Mathews.

The clash gave Clarkson a new chance at a singer who had first chosen Latifah. Before the season began, Clarkson had admitted how tough it was to recruit against the new coach.

“We lost a lot of people in the blinds to Queen,” she said.

Latifah brought that strong team into the battles with help from Patti LaBelle, her own mentor. Executive producer Audrey Morrissey said Latifah wanted her singers to learn from the person who had guided her. LaBelle helped Mathews and Kolich prepare their duet before Latifah had to choose between them.

Earlier in the night, Latifah also settled the Lauryn Hill showdown previewed before the broadcast. She chose Alt Bloom over Morgan Lett after their take on “Ex-Factor,” sending Bloom forward and ending Lett’s run.

Bloom and Kolich stayed with Team Queen for Cut Week. Mathews’ next coach was due to be revealed when the battles resumed Tuesday, October 13, at 8 p.m. Eastern on NBC.