Gwen Stefani threatens to “beat up” singer Chechi Sarai after “unsafe” performance

Gwen Stefani isn’t afraid to use harsh words on NBC’s “The Voice,” even if they border on the perverse side.

Singers Calla Prejean and Chechi Sarai of Team Gwen turned the third round of Battles into a cryfest on Tuesday night by performing an emotional cover of Lady Gaga’s “A Star is Born” ballad “I’ll Never Love Again.”

Sarai, who struggled to express her personality during rehearsals, impressed Stefani on stage with her impeccable range. But the “Hollaback Girl” singer sensed she was still nervous, which prompted her to give the Michigan singer a cheeky speech.

“That was like the first verse of the Grammys. It was so good, but I could still see this little insecure version of you that doesn’t belong on that stage or in your life,” Stefani said. “You’re just not that girl, so I’m just going to have to spank you, like, no!”

Stefani is determined to make Sarai shine. She declared the 32-year-old the winner of the battle.

“I just know that Chechi has what it takes to deliver a flawless performance,” Stefani said. “She has an original sound. She’s someone I can really collaborate with and I can help her.”

Here’s what else happened on Tuesday’s episode.

Reba McEntire reprimands Mac Royals for not following her advice

When the Queen of Country gives advice, the candidates better listen.

Singers Mac Royals and Rachele Nguyen from Team Reba proved that disco will never die with an enchanting performance of the Bee Gees classic “How Deep Is Your Love”.

Nguyen, 17, clearly stood out with her precocious vocal talent. “The fact that you’re 17 – I hate to throw this out there, because singing is singing – but the things you can do with your voice and your instincts are pretty magical,” Stefani said.

Nguyen’s duet partner Royals didn’t fare as well. While the Arkansas singer was praised by Stefani for his “warm and buttery” tone, coaches Niall Horan and John Legend noted a certain pitch in his performance.

Coach Reba McEntire praised Royals for his “incredible” vocals, but the country icon also expressed her disappointment at the creative liberties the 31-year-old singer took. McEntire had previously warned Royals against straying too far from the song’s original format.

“I still wish we could have stuck with the Bee Gees version, because it kind of confused me again, like it did when we were rehearsing,” McEntire said. “Maybe it was the pitch thing you were talking about.”

In the end, McEntire crowned Nguyen the winner of the fight. But before the Royals could sing their swan song, Legend pressed his steal button and grabbed the eliminated singer.

“Mac has the kind of voice I like to hear,” Legend said. “He just sounds like he should be a star right now. I want to hear a Mac record. Maybe he should have been on Team Legend all along.”

‘The voice’: Gwen Stefani defeats Niall Horan and steals Team Reba singer CORii

‘The voice’: Gwen Stefani and John Legend face off in the first duel of season 24

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘The Voice’: Gwen Stefani threatens to ‘beat up’ singer Chechi Sarai.