The country singer exited the NBC competition series ahead of the show’s Playoff rounds.

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The Voice season 24 loves to deliver epic twists week after week, but they aren’t always fun as we’ve just learned with the most recent news from the show.

During the November 27 installment of the hit NBC competition series, Reba McEntire shocked viewers by announcing her team would be one contestant short ahead of the Playoff rounds. Right at the beginning of the episode, Reba shared that country singer Tom Nitti chose to depart the show, but did not reveal much about the reason behind his decision.

“I have wonderfully talented people, but Tom had to leave for personal reasons,” Reba explained on the show. “So, I only have five artists tonight.”

NBC//Getty Images

While fans know Tom’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” got Reba to turn her chair during the Blind Auditions, his renditions of other covers chosen by the country legend kept him in the competition. What’s more, Reba chose to use her save on him, following his performance in the Knockout round to The Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You.”

So, what happened that caused Tom to leave The Voice? Well, the day after the episode aired on TV, he explained his emotion reason behind the exit. As he shared a video on Instagram featuring his girlfriend Ashley Bryant and their family, he stepped back from continuing on The Voice to be present for his loved ones.

“Well, I’ve been dreading this day ever since the blind audition, so here goes nothin’,” he captioned the clip on November 28. “As much as it absolutely stings to say, I had to make probably one of the hardest yet easiest decisions ever and ultimately at the end of the day, my kids will always come first and if I had to make the same decision again I’d do it over and over.”

He continued: “This past summer was filled to the max with everything I love and could’ve only dreamed of and thanks to @nbcthevoice I was able to live my wildest dreams and do what I’ve always hoped … This isn’t the end of me and I’ll do what I do best for everyone to see which is keep my head down and move forward playing music and raising/creating new memories with a family I will continue to grow. I never believed in the whole, things happen for a reason statement but in this case I think God has it all figured out … I’m more than ready to continue to live life now happier than ever before.”

Unsurprisingly, his emotional reason for leaving The Voice had fans giving him their full support online. “Bravo! Loved watching you but know that this is only the beginning 🙏🏼,” one person wrote on Instagram. “Wish you the best! Can’t wait to see more from you in the future. ❤️🎶,” another added. “🥰👏🥰 You will soar! Can’t wait to hear more of you!” a different follower agreed.

We wish Tom all the best on his future endeavors!

Adrianna Freedman
Editorial Assistant

As the entertainment and news editorial assistant for Good Housekeeping, Adrianna (she/her) writes about everything TV, movies, music and pop culture. She graduated from Yeshiva University with a B.A. in journalism and a minor in business management. She covers shows like The Rookie, 9-1-1 and Grey’s Anatomy, though when she’s not watching the latest show on Netflix, she’s taking martial arts or drinking way too much coffee.