BURBANK, Calif. — NBC has revealed who will be filling the red-chair void left by Blake Shelton's departure on "The Voice."
NBC confirmed at Monday's upfront presentation that Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Reba McEntire will fill Shelton's judging chair on season 24 of "The Voice" this autumn.
Fresh off her role as a season 23 "mega mentor," McEntire will serve as a judge alongside veteran coach John Legend and returning coaches Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani.
"The Voice" will air season 23 live shows beginning Monday. The top 8 artists will perform live in front of coaches for the first time.
Shelton announced in October that he would depart "The Voice" after season 23 on the series. The singer, who met wife Gwen Stefani on the show, told host Carson Daly he began thinking about leaving the competition during the COVID pandemic.
"I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit," Shelton explained in an interview with fellow coaches Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper on TODAY.
“And then, because of COVID, I didn’t want to walk away from the show and leave everybody in a bind. I mean, this show changed my life. I’ll stay here until the world kind of gets back to normal again,” Shelton explained.
Asked what it would take to keep him on the show, Shelton joked he'd like for "Kelly [Clarkson] to not be on the show anymore...I just think there's too much Kelly Clarkson on television in general."
Season 23 of “The Voice” is the No. 1 alternative series in total viewers for the 4th-consecutive season, NBC said.
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