“I didn’t touch the red button, I touched the ‘Block Reba’ button because I didn’t want the greatest country singer ever in the universe to get close.”

Michael Bublé is new to The Voice, but the rookie Coach is getting a handle on the rules. For instance, he knows how and when to deploy his Block — much to the chagrin of fellow Coach (and last year’s winner) Reba McEntire, who said in Season 26’s second episode that she was “hoping he’d forgotten that rule. But he didn’t.”

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McEntire’s loss was Team Bublé’s gain, as he was able to snag Mor Ilderton, an indie folk singer from Teays Valley, West Virginia … who is also a rookie! Prior to his performance on The Voice, Ilderton had never sung for a crowd or into a microphone before.

As Ilderton explained while a montage of him doing backflips and other stunts played ahead of his performance, he was a mischievous kid who “got away with a little bit” but “always got caught in the end.” He was initially raised by his grandmother after his mother died when he was just 2 years old, but when he turned 18 his uncle and aunt took him in. Ilderton found love in their house — he says his uncle Josh, a veteran of the Marine Corps., is “like a superhero to me” — and helped him find music.

“He was grounded,” Ilderton’s aunt, Stacy, explained. “He was not allowed to do anything and he just taught himself guitar.”

Mor Ilderton sings Dylan Gossett’s “Coal” during Blind Auditions for The Voice Season 26

Mor Ildlerton performs onstage during Season 26 Episode 2 of The Voice. Photo: Tyler Golden/NBC

Ilderton, who said he enjoys “mountain music,” chose to perform Dylan Gossett’s 2023 song “Coal.” For somebody who had never sung in front of a crowd before, much less in such a high-pressure scenario like a Blind Audition on The Voice, you wouldn’t know it. Bublé was the first Coach to turn his chair, though he hesitated before hitting the button — because he wanted to bock McEntire. Snoop Dogg also turned his chair for Ilderton, followed by McEntire, who was mad to discover that she’d been blocked.

Bublé spun around so fast, he joked that his “toupee” almost fell off. “I want Mor,” he said, making a pun out of Ilderton’s first name. “I didn’t touch the red button, I touched the ‘Block Reba’ button because I didn’t want the greatest country singer ever in the universe to get close.”

With that compliment, a flattered McEntire, who dubbed Ilderton’s voice “sexy,”  told Bublé that he was forgiven.

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Gwen Stefani, who didn’t turn her chair, noted some “tuning” issues in his performance but likened Ilderton to Zach Bryan. Snoop Dogg praised the young singer’s “heart” for this debut live performance and made his pitch for Ilderton to join Team Snoop. “Country, gangsta… we go together,” he said.

Ilderton opted to join Team Bublé in the end. Let’s see how far he goes this season!