Pastor And Father Of Eight Todd Tilghman Is Oldest Contestant To Win 'The Voice'

May 26, 2020 by apost team

'The Voice' host Carson Daly crowned 42-year-old Mississippi pastor Todd Tilghman the winner of the show’s 18th season last week as part of a two-hour-long season finale. Tilghman, a father of eight children, is the oldest contestant to ever win the show.

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, last week’s episode also marked the show’s first-ever remote finale, which combined 21 different live streams from across the country, USA Today reports. But other than a few technical difficulties with judge Blake Shelton’s microphone, the two-hour remote finale was relatively seamless, featuring a variety of live post-competition performances with the Top 5 and their coaches.

For viewers unfamiliar with the show’s format, The Voice features a series of professional mentors—Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, John Legend, and Blake Shelton this season—who work with contestants to improve their craft and help them win the show. In that sense, the show’s judges (or coaches) are also competing against each other, working to make sure their singers rise to the top.

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Back when the season first began, Tilghman sang Bob Seger's We've Got Tonight, impressing all four judges with his vocal talent. While Tilghman seemed to connect with Clarkson, Jonas, and Legend due to their shared church backgrounds, he ultimately chose Shelton to be his coach.

"I love your voice. I love the passion. I love the range...I love the hop," Shelton said earlier in the show, according to USA Today. "I think Todd is special and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the finals. He’s got a great voice and a lot of drive."

And it seems like Tilghman's choice to go with Shelton ultimately paid off. Following last week’s vote count, Tilghman came out on top while Toneisha Harris (Shelton) and Thunderstorm Artis (Nick Jonas) rounded out the Top 3. John Legend’s contestant CammWess came in fourth place whereas Clarkson’s Micah Iverson finished last among the Top 5. USA Today further reports that this is Shelton’s seventh win as coach, making the country singer the judge with the most wins in the show’s 18 season history—and he has Tilghman to thank for that.

While Tilghman undoubtedly impressed Voice fans across the country—not to mention the star-studded judges' panel—the Mississippi pastor has surprisingly little performing experience, according to Country Living. In fact, before appearing on the show, Tilghman had never performed professionally. Before his success on the show, he spent most of his time working as the lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Meridian and taking care of his eight children with his wife, high school sweetheart Brooke.

When TV Insider caught up with Tilghman after his momentous win last week, the 42-year-old said that he was humbled and thankful for the experience.

“It has been so insane, everyone has been so good to me,” Tilghman said. “It makes me feel so humble. I've had like a thousand people since yesterday say, ‘you deserve this.’ I'm very thankful for it but I would not say I deserve it, you know?”

Congratulations, Todd! What did you think of Todd's performance throughout season 18? Who was your favorite contestant? Let us know and be sure to pass this story on to fellow Voice fans.