Reba McEntire is officially joining The Voice!
On Monday, NBC announced the country music star would join the reality show competition series as a permanent coach – she’s currently on the show as a mega mentor – alongside John Legend, Niall Horan, and Gwen Stefani.
It will be a full-circle moment as McEntire will replace Blake Shelton who has been on the series since its premiere in 2011. During the show’s first season she appeared as Shelton’s battle round advisor.
In 2020, she revealed she turned down the opportunity to sit in one of the now iconic red chairs and become a coach.
“It was a very popular show in Holland, I’m pretty sure, and I watched the tape, and I said, ‘No, I’m going to pass on that,’ because I don’t think I could ever be able to tell somebody that they’re terrible or go find another job or hope you like your nighttime job. I couldn’t do that day in and day out. I just couldn’t do it. So I did pass on it.”
Her spot would go on to Shelton, the show’s longest serving coach.
In October 2022, Shelton revealed Season 23 of The Voice would be his last.
He said it was a decision he had been “wrestling with this for a while,” but ultimately he decided it was time to spend more time with his family, his wife and fellow Voice coach, Stefani and her three sons.
Season 23 will air its final two episodes beginning May 22 and will feature a special appearance by former coach Adam Levine and his band Maroon 5.
Reba McEntire is a great addition to the show! I can’t wait for next season.
READ MORE:
- Blake Shelton leaves ‘The Voice’ to focus on parenting his 3 stepsons the way his own father taught him
- Adam Levine returning to ‘The Voice’ for best friend Blake Shelton’s final show
