We’re two months away from the premiere of The Voice Season 24, and it will be a historic moment for the longtime NBC singing competition. For the first time since its 2011 premiere, none of the original coaching panel will be in the Big Red Chairs as contestants take the stage hoping to find success in the music industry. The show recently gave us our first peek at the upcoming season’s coaches, and while Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, Reba McEntire and John Legend do look seem like they’re going to be a fun group, I still can’t get over how weird it is to not see Blake Shelton among them.
Blake Shelton went out in epic style on The Voice’s season finale in May, wrapping up his 23-season stint on the show surrounded by several of The Voice’s former coaches, all nine of his Team Blake champions and many more singers that he’d coached over the past decade-plus. The big event was likely intended to give fans — and the cowboy himself — some closure, but doesn’t it just feel the tiniest bit wrong that Shelton’s not here, just waiting to troll the next person who catches his eye? Take a look at the Season 24 coaches:
Sure, the host of the show is all smiles here, but Carson Daly was not OK when he first returned to set for the new season, posting a photo of his obvious distress over not having Blake Shelton in hair and makeup with him, as was their tradition. Shelton was certainly beloved on The Voice — and not just by his colleagues, but the fans too — so Reba McEntire has some big cowboy boots to fill as his replacement in Season 24. If anybody’s up to the task, though, it’s got to be Reba-Freaking-McEntire, right?
When The Voice shared the photo of the new coaches, the country music legend proved that she’s going to hit the ground running, as she tweeted:
#TeamReba is ready!!!
It should help take the sting out of Blake Shelton’s absence, knowing that The Voice replaced him with a literal legend. Reba McEntire is in the midst of a six-decade career that’s seen 25 No. 1 singles and three Grammy Awards from her 32 studio albums. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s been a friend of the show for a long time, serving as a mentor on Blake Shelton’s first and last seasons, with other appearances in between.
Reba will definitely have her work cut out for her though. Reigning champ Niall Horan will return for his sophomore effort, looking to become just the second coach to win their first two seasons on The Voice (after Kelly Clarkson) following his victory with Gina Miles in Season 23.
Blake Shelton may not be around anymore, but his wife Gwen Stefani will surely be looking to carry on the family legacy, as she’ll return after taking a season off. Also back after a single-season hiatus is John Legend, who left The Voice after Season 22 as a father of two and returns as a father of four. He and wife Chrissy Teigen welcomed their daughter Esti Maxine in January, and the couple announced the arrival of baby No. 4 — Wren Alexander Stephens — via surrogate in June.
Season 24 will certainly look and feel different without Blake Shelton, but just wait until we get to Season 25, when Dan + Shay make The Voice history as the first coaching duo! If you want to get in on the madness, the new season is set to premiere Monday, September 25, on NBC. See what else is coming soon with our 2023 TV schedule.
