After 20 seasons of The Voice so far, Carson Daly and Blake Shelton are the only two stars who've remain from Season 1, and in that time, the working relationship between the host and the competition show's winningest coach has gone beyond professional. In fact, when Shelton married Grammy winner and fellow TV coach Gwen Stefani, Daly was the only member of The Voice who got invited — he even officiated the wedding! But that doesn’t mean Daly would ooze loyalty by choosing Shelton as his coach if Daly flipped his role and became a contestant auditioning for the show.
Season 21 of The Voice is set to premiere next month with coaches Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and newcomer Ariana Grande competing against each other in the rotating chairs. In anticipation for the competition series' return, Carson Daly revealed to The Wrap whose team he would join as a hypothetical contestant, saying he wouldn't choose his longtime friend and co-worker, despite his and Shelton's close relationship. In his rather amusing words:
I would choose John Legend. You probably thought I was gonna say Blake [Shelton], because we’re close, but that’s why I wouldn’t want to be on his team. Because I know him too well. He offers me nothing.
Carson Daly may be on to something there. Picking a coach who can offer a different perspective is a strategy that has worked on The Voice before, most recently with Season 20 winner Cam Anthony, an R&B artist who chose to be on Blake Shelton’s team after he was blocked from working with EGOT winner John Legend. However, adding that Shelton “offers me nothing” sounds more like a dig from Adam Levine (minus the F-bomb) than the genial host. I guess the cowboy brings it out in people, though with more cheekiness than pure loathing.
The radio host-turned-MTV VJ never really exhibited musical ambitions for himself, and Carson Daly admitted that he doesn’t know what song he’d audition with as a contestant on The Voice, but he imagined it would be in the “‘80s and ‘90s R&B world.” Just imagine Shelton trying to critique Daly's performance of, say, Boyz II Men or SWV.
Blake Shelton’s decision to make Carson Daly the only representative from The Voice to get the RSVP for Gwen Stefani’s wedding was one that caused the country superstar a lot of awkward conversations, but it speaks to the strong bond the two celebs have developed over the past ten years. Wedding invitation or not, The Voice coaches do always seem to genuinely care about each other, celebrating each other’s personal and professional victories, even if there is a lot of good-natured ribbing going on. Fingers crossed "Carson Daly in a fake mustache" tries to audition in the new season.
The Voice Season 21 is just around the corner, premiering September 20 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. This season’s coaches have recruited some pretty epic singers to assist them in the Battle Rounds, and I’m personally excited to see if they can out-do themselves with their choice for Mega Mentor after getting Snoop Dogg on board in Season 20. Be sure to check out our 2021 Fall TV schedule to keep up with the premieres for all of your favorite shows.
