The Voice season 28 Coach Niall Horan misses live finale duet tradition despite having two finalists in the competition

The Voice Season 28 concludes with its Live Finale on December 16, 2025, but Coach Niall Horan will not perform alongside his two remaining Finalists, Aiden Ross and DEK of Hearts.

According to NBC, Horan is on vocal rest due to illness and will not participate in the traditional duet performances between Coaches and their Artists.

While Horan has won Seasons 23 and 24, this season marks a departure from the usual format for him, as he will not be present on stage. Reba McEntire is set to perform with Team Niall in his place.

Niall Horan’s Finalists in the Top 6

Team Niall includes Aiden Ross, a student at Texas A&M, and DEK of Hearts, a country-pop trio.

Both advanced to the Live Finale, joining Team Reba’s Aubrey Nicole, Team Bublé’s Jazz McKenzie and Max Chambers, and Team Snoop’s Ralph Edwards.

Ross and DEK of Hearts will perform duets on the December 16 episode without Horan. Reba McEntire, who has one finalist of her own, Aubrey Nicole, will perform with Team Niall during the scheduled duet performances.

NBC reported that Horan is expected to make a full recovery following his vocal rest. Aiden Ross and DEK of Hearts are the two finalists representing Team Niall in the Live Finale.

Replacement performer for Team Niall

In the absence of Niall Horan, Reba McEntire will step in for the duet performances. She will perform with Aiden Ross and DEK of Hearts as part of the Live Finale episode.

McEntire has one finalist, Aubrey Nicole, who advanced to the finale despite earning only a one-chair turn in her Blind Audition.

McEntire will lend her vocals to three of the six duets performed during the episode, covering the roles usually performed by the absent Coach Horan.

The replacement ensures that Team Niall will not perform solo during any of the scheduled duet numbers on the Live Finale.

Remaining artists and voting results

The Top 6 Artists competing in The Voice Season 28 include Team Niall’s Aiden Ross and DEK of Hearts, Team Reba’s Aubrey Nicole, Team Bublé’s Jazz McKenzie and Max Chambers, and Team Snoop’s Ralph Edwards.

Two finalists, DEK of Hearts and Max Chambers, advanced through the America’s Vote process, while the remaining Artists were chosen by the Coaches.

Michael Bublé has two finalists in the Live Finale and is aiming for a third consecutive victory, while Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, and Niall Horan each have finalists competing for the winning title.

The final voting results will determine both the winning Artist and the winning Coach of Season 28.

Star-studded finale performances

The Live Finale will feature performances from multiple musical guests in addition to the Coaches and Finalists.

According to NBC, the episode will include appearances from XG, Riley Green, Zac Brown, Noah Cyrus, Khalid, Sofronio Vasquez III, Neal Schon and Journey, Michael Bublé, Reba McEntire, Gina Miles, and Snoop Dogg.

These appearances will complement the performances by the Final 6 Artists and the duet between McEntire and Team Niall, replacing Horan on stage.

The lineup of musical guests represents a combination of current and past Voice performers as well as popular recording artists, adding variety to the finale performances.

The Voice Season 28 Live Finale airs on December 16, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, concluding the competition and announcing the winner among the six remaining Artists.

Stay tuned for more updates.