2024-09-24 10:00:03
THE VOICE — Season: 26 — Pictured: (l-r) Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire and Michael Bublé — … [+]
A new season of The Voice kicks off tonight with two fresh faces in the coveted red chairs: Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé. They’ll be joined by two returning veterans who are no strangers to the show. Learn more about the new coaches and which stars exited after last season below.
The Voice, which returns for its 26th season on Sept. 23, has seen its fair share of coach shakeups over the years, including the departure of its longest-serving original coach, Blake Shelton, at the end of Season 23. Now, the upcoming season will see its coaching panel rotate once again.
Former coaches John Legend, Chance the Rapper, and Dan + Shay stepped down after the Season 25 finale in May. Legend told Entertainment Tonight that he was leaving NBC’s popular singing show to focus on his upcoming tour, An Evening With John Legend.
Dan + Shay also blamed touring conflicts as the reason for their exit. The ‘Tequila” singers kicked off their Heartbreak on the Map tour earlier this year and extended their tour dates into the fall. “We’re touring a lot this year, which we’re really excited about, but obviously doesn’t allow us to come back,” Mooney told ET.
Meanwhile, Chance the Rapper didn’t give a reason for his second exit (he left for the first time in 2023 for Season 24). However, he did say on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in March 2023 that he was busy working on his second studio album, Star Line.
Who Are The Voice Season 26 Coaches?
THE VOICE — “Coach Performance” — Pictured: (l-r)Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Michael … [+]
The Voice Season 26 coaches are Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg.
Season 26 will mark the first time Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg will be coaches on the show. Snoop Dogg previously served as a mega mentor in Season 20, while Bublé was an advisor to Blake Shelton’s team in Season 3.
In a recent interview with Today, Bublé shared that NBC has asked him about “15-16” times to join the show, but he repeatedly turned it down because he didn’t want the pressure to judge other vocalists. “But thank God we’re not judges. The other shows have judges — we are coaches,” he said.
“And the reason I say that is because most of the singers are better than me, and I have no place ever judging anyone,” the Canadian singer added. “So, to get to coach them and live the fantasy of having this career that I’ve had and then get to have the fulfillment of helping someone else get that? That’s the cool part.”
Fellow newcomer Snoop Dogg went viral this summer for being a Special Correspondent for NBC at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He also regularly appeared on “Primetime in Paris,” where he connected with Team USA athletes and their families, explored the city, and shared his Olympic adventures with the primetime audience.
Ahead of his The Voice coaching debut, the rapper told The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that he loves all forms of music. “So this is a great opportunity for me to show that I really understand music, and to be a real Coach,” the rapper continued, “and to really give direction to some of these Artists that could be, you know, today’s next big thing.”
Stefani is returning to The Voice as a coach, having previously served in seasons 7, 9, 12, 17, 19, and 24. She won Season 19 with contestant Carter Rubin. McEntire, who joined as a coach in Season 24, will also remain on the panel this fall.
The Voice premieres at 8 p.m. on NBC. New episodes will also be available to stream the next day on Peacock.
