The Voice is getting ready to celebrate a big milestone when Season 30 premieres on the 2026 TV schedule this September. Two new faces will join Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson on the coaching panel — Queen Latifah and Riley Green, the latter of whom is surely hoping to honor the show’s history of country music dominance. Blake Shelton seems to believe Green’s up to the task, and he’s got some blunt advice for the newcomer.

Blake Shelton exited The Voice in 2023 after 23 seasons, and while he still has no plans to come back (in a coaching capacity at least — he has performed on the show since then), he’s still got plenty of opinions about the show, especially with his former rivals Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine going strong after their respective returns. Shelton offered some strong words of advice to Riley Green as he prepares to go up against them, telling ET:

Blake Shelton makes it sound like The Voice coaches are all mortal enemies, and admittedly if you ever witnessed the feud he had with Kelly Clarkson or heard the F-bombs Adam Levine’s thrown his way, you might believe it. However, trolling is Shelton’s love language — he even trolled his own wife when they competed on The Voice Season 22 — so there’s really no animosity there.

Friendships aside, however, Blake Shelton still thinks Riley Green’s got what it takes to go up against the two veterans, despite both Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine having won four seasons of The Voice (second only to Shelton himself, who won nine). The “God’s Country” singer suggested the other coaches might have trouble luring artists away from Luke Grimes’ friend and Marshals co-star, saying:

Kelly Clarkson actually may be a tad intimidated by Riley Green, as she has definitely tried to take over as the country music expert on seasons without Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire. In fact, the American Idol winner started talking smack to Green before The Voice Season 30 started shooting — even before she’d actually met the country singer in person!

I’m excited to see how these four coaches get along and what surprises Carson Daly might have in store for The Voice’s milestone season.

Speaking of milestones, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani just celebrated their 5-year wedding anniversary after meeting on The Voice, with their big day coming just weeks after Shelton turned 50 years old. Now, he may not be returning to the NBC singing competition, but it sounds like he’ll be rooting for Riley Green.

The Voice Season 30 premieres at 8 p.m. ET Monday, September 21, on NBC with episodes streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

While The Voice is coming back to the 2026 TV schedule this fall without Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani as coaches, that doesn’t mean the real-life couple aren’t privately enjoying their relationship out of the spotlight. The pair of musicians may often be the subject of divorce rumors in the tabloids lately, but public PDA from the both of them for their anniversary helps put the speculation to rest.

Shelton and Stefani’s names often come up as a celebrity couple who might be secretly on the rocks since they mostly keep to themselves. However, new social media posts from both of them remind us that the speculation is likely purely that. Check out what Blake Shelton posted to Instagram:

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani tied the knot on July 3, 2021 - a wedding anniversary they now share with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who officially got married at Madison Square Garden on Friday. It’s been five years since their ceremony at an Oklahoma ranch surrounded by their loved ones, and the country singer proudly shared pictures from their day. He also said “every day is better than the last”, before wishing his wife a happy anniversary in front of the world.

Gwen Stefani commented on the post by writing “🙏🏻 love u !!” along with adding two posts of her own to celebrate the occasion. Along with sharing more wedding photos from the day they said "I do", she posted a reel full of images of the couple over the years. Take a look:

Aww, these sweet little moments from Gwen Stefani’s camera roll say it all. It must be so frustrating for them to see speculation about their relationship being over all the time when it seems like they’re just out here enjoying their lives together and minding their own busines. Back in January, Shelton commented on the speculation with these words:

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani met in 2014 when they were both coaches on The Voice's seventh season. They reportedly began dating in late 2015 before eventually getting engaged in October of 2020.

As of late, Blake Shelton has been touring following the release of his latest record, For Recreational Use Only, which came out back in May. Gwen Stefani just concluded her residency at Las Vegas’s Sphere with No Doubt last month. It was the band’s first tour together in almost 14 years. Now, I love that they're taking a moment to celebrate the day they said "I do."

Happy Anniversary to Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani! The couple look more adorable than ever.

The Kelly Clarkson Show is quickly approaching its end, as the Emmy-winning host announced in February that Season 7 would be its last. In fact, filming has actually already wrapped, with the pre-taped episodes set to run on the 2026 TV schedule into the fall. Kelly Clarkson has spoken candidly about her decision, and now one of her buddies is opening up about her post-show plans.

Lifestyle expert Lawrence Zarian is a regular fixture on The Kelly Clarkson Show, appearing in more than 140 episodes over the past seven years. He said this ending is “bittersweet” because it was such a good job, and everyone there had become a family. It seems appropriate, then, that family will be the focus of Kelly Clarkson’s life when the talk show’s over. Zarian told US Weekly:

Many fans were shocked to learn of Brandon Blackstock’s death back in August 2025, which followed a long, private battle with cancer. He was 48. It immediately became clear that the show tapings Kelly Clarkson had missed and the concerts that were postponed were in order to help her two children — River 12 and Remington 10 — cope with their father’s illness and passing.

That, unsurprisingly, was at the center of the American Idol champ’s statement when she announced The Kelly Clarkson Show was coming to an end. She said:

As for that duet that Lawrence Zarian mentioned, he says we will get to see him sing alongside Kelly Clarkson before the lights go down on The Kelly Clarkson Show’s New York City production. The duo will sing “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors in what the lifestyle guru called the “best moment of my life, truly.”

In addition to spending more time with her little ones, Kelly Clarkson — as promised in the statement above — is set to appear as a coach on The Voice for its milestone 30th season (her 11th on the show).

In the upcoming season, she’ll face off against OG coach Adam Levine in what will be his 19th competition, and Queen Latifah is joining The Voice with fellow first-timer Riley Green.

Last season we saw John Legend bring a couple of his kids to The Voice set, and I think it would be so cool to see River and Remy join Kelly Clarkson at work for some bonus time with mom. They’ve taken the stage during her Las Vegas residency, so who knows what could happen? The only problem is if her kids do come around, Clarkson might want to watch how much she trash-talks rookie Riley Green.

It’s good to hear that Kelly Clarkson’s pals are supportive of her ending her talk show, even under such bittersweet circumstances, and we’ll keep you posted about when The Kelly Clarkson Show’s finale will air. Check your local listings to see when to catch her each weekday until then.

The Voice will hit a big benchmark when it returns to the 2026 TV schedule this fall, gearing up to crown its 30th champion since debuting 15 years ago. Anyone who’s tuned into NBC’s singing competition knows how important The Voice’s superstar coaches are to the show’s success, because when their competitive juices start to flow, so does the smack talk. Apparently they don’t always wait for the cameras to start rolling, either, because incoming rookie Riley Green revealed that Kelly Clarkson has already sniffed out that fresh meat.

One aspect of The Voice that’s contributed to its success is the fact that each season is really two competitions in one — there’s the singing competition that aims to launch an artist into the industry and then there's the battle amongst the coaches to have that person be their team member. Rising country music star Riley Green is set to take his place in the Big Red Chair for the first time in Season 30, and he told E! News ahead of the AMAs how Kelly Clarkson is welcoming him to the family:

It is absolutely wild that Kelly Clarkson is putting newbie Riley Green in his place before production even starts on The Voice Season 30. Knowing how competitive she gets, it’s not exactly a surprise, though, and I have to say, I absolutely love it.

The “Worst Way” singer said that while he hasn’t gotten much facetime with his fellow Season 30 coaches Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson or Queen Latifah yet, he’s excited about the idea of their rapport developing in real time in front of the camera. I agree that will be fun to watch — but I stand by concerns that the trio of music industry veterans might just eat Riley Green’s lunch. At least Clarkson showing her competitive edge early gives the Marshals actor a hint of what to expect, as he said:

You can say that again! In Kelly Clarkson’s 10 seasons, she’s taken 4 artists to the end. That’s the same number of victories as OG coach Adam Levine, except it took him 19 seasons to accomplish it.

The “Since U Been Gone” singer proved how ruthless she is during Season 29’s Battle of Champions, winning both the Triple Turn Competition and the All-Star Showdown that brought back the coaches’ past team members. She wasn’t able to get the crown in the end, though, as Adam Levine team member Alexia Jayy took top honors.

So Kelly Clarkson can be beaten, but it sounds like she’s definitely going to make Riley Green work for it. The Voice Season 30 will premiere in September on NBC, with episodes available to stream the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Kelly Clarkson may be one of the most renowned singers of our day — with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, her own eponymous talk show and multiple wins as a coach on The Voice to boot — but to her two children, River (11) and Remington (10) — she’s a mother first. However, the same can’t be said for her kids’ friends. Clarkson got real about one hilarious side effect of being as famous as she is, and it’s certainly something I’ve never thought about.

The American Idol champ may be “Mom” to her two little ones, but to their friends, she’s still the ridiculously famous singer of hits like “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes.” As such, they apparently refer to her as any normal person would when addressing a celebrity of her caliber. She said on The Kelly Clarkson Show (via US Weekly):

I’m glad she finds humor in the situation, because it’s actually so adorable to think of tweens just constantly full-naming Kelly Clarkson. I can’t blame them, because I’d do the same thing!

There’s certainly an adjustment period when people stop calling you by your name, and you have to accept the fact that your identity is now being someone’s mom. Living in Texas — Kelly Clarkson’s home state — I also get a lot of “Miss” and “Ma’am,” which is fine because it’s not “Hey,” or “Bruh,” and I don’t expect them all to learn my name.

However, everybody knows Kelly Clarkson’s name, and wouldn't it be so weird to call her “Miss Kelly” or “River’s mom”? She’s won three Grammys for godsakes!

Even Jenna Bush Hager — who was Kelly Clarkson’s guest — admitted she wouldn’t be able to call the singer anything but her full name, saying:

The Today with Jenna & Sheinelle host said she didn’t have the same issue using first names for her colleagues like Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie, but they’re such a family over there at the NBC morning show that that’s not really a surprise.

It’s possible that River and Remington’s friends might be seeing more of Kelly Clarkson soon, as the host is ending The Kelly Clarkson Show at the end of its seventh season. She admitted that she needed to take some things off of her plate in order to be there for her children, especially in the wake of their father Brandon Blackstock’s death last August.

I think it’s a great move for her family, but I doubt it’s going to make a difference in how her kids’ friends refer to her. You can still catch The Kelly Clarkson Show on weekdays on NBC through the fall (check your local listings), and she’ll be back on The Voice for its milestone 30th season, which will premiere on the 2026 TV schedule in September.

The Voice is celebrating its milestone 30th season this fall, and it’s certainly bringing the star power to the 2026 TV schedule. As I suspected, rumors of Blake Shelton’s potential return were greatly exaggerated, but I’m definitely not disappointed in the coaching lineup that NBC has assembled. Queen Latifah is set to join The Voice family alongside the previously announced Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson and newcomer Riley Green, and I have to admit I’m a bit concerned about the country music artist.

The Voice prides itself on finding superstar talent to lead each season’s group of contestants, and Queen Latifah is unequivocally that. Not only does she have a music career dating back over three decades (earning her a Grammy and myriad other awards), she’s an actress who’s won an Emmy and a Golden Globe and been nominated for an Oscar.

I can’t wait to see how her experience and expertise informs her mentoring strategy, because while she’s never coached on The Voice before, Queen Latifah has been a guest judge on America’s Got Talent, sang at the Super Bowl and hosted numerous awards shows and her own talk show (Carson Daly better watch out!).

That’s obviously a lot more entertainment experience than Riley Green has accumulated, and I’m really interested to see how he plays that on The Voice Season 30.

That’s not to downplay the achievements the country singer has see in his comparatively short career. Riley Green hasn’t coached before, but he performed in The Voice finales for Seasons 26 and 28. He’s won numerous ACM and CMA Awards since releasing his debut studio album in 2019 and has hits with artists like Thomas Rhett and Luke Combs.

He also recently made his acting debut on the CBS series Marshals (streaming with a Paramount+ subscription), so clearly he’s qualified to coach entertainment industry hopefuls.

Riley Green also played college football, so we're probably looking at a strong competitive spirit. I also admit how naive it would be of me to underestimate how well any country music artist can do on The Voice. However, not only is Riley Green going up against Queen Latifah, he’s got to face two of the competition’s most venerated coaches.

Season 30 will be Adam Levine’s 19th time on The Voice, which is more than any coach other than Blake Shelton (23). He and Kelly Clarkson each have 4 wins — the most of any coach other than Shelton (9). Clarkson’s reign is all the more impressive because those victories came in just 10 seasons, giving her an impressive 40% win percentage.

I love that Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson are coming back, because they carry a legacy of winning, and I’m super pumped to see how Queen Latifah and Riley Green fit into the mix.

With this being the NBC singing competition’s 30th season, I’m sure Carson Daly’s got some twists up his sleeve, and the network has already teased special appearances from former coaches and mentors.

What we don’t yet know is the premiere date, but stay tuned, because we’ll definitely be on the lookout for The Voice Season 30 this fall on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice family has suffered a tragic loss, as it was reported that Season 24 contestant Dylan Carter died Saturday night in a car accident in South Carolina. He was 24 years old. During his time on the singing competition, Carter was a member of Reba McEntire’s team after earning a Four-Chair Turn in the Blind Auditions. Upon hearing about Carter's passing, McEntire paid tribute to her former team member.

Dylan Carter was reportedly killed in a single-car accident at 11:42 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Colleton County, South Carolina, according to TMZ. He was set to perform Monday, April 27, at a local “Music on Main” event, but the event has since been canceled.

The singer was 20 years old when he competed on The Voice, earning a Four-Chair Turn for his rendition of Whitney Houston’s “I Look to You.” He picked Reba McEntire as his coach, and in light of the tragic news of his death, McEntire posted the following to her Instagram Stories:

Fans of The Voice may remember that Dylan Carter’s audition song in 2023 was one that he’d tried to perform at his mother’s funeral the year before, but he’d become overwhelmed with emotion and wasn’t able to finish.

He finished it on that day, though, with Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan and John Legend all amazed with the performance. In the end, though, it was the Queen of Country who got to work with him. You can see his emotional performance of “I Look to You” below:

Dylan Carter was eliminated in the Battle Round of Season 24, after he and fellow Team Reba member Tom Nitti dueted to Cody Johnson’s “‘Til You Can’t.”

After his stint on The Voice, Dylan Carter went on to co-found the nonprofit The Local Voice, which helps to support women fighting breast cancer and their families. The group honored Carter in an emotional Facebook message, writing:

It sounds like Dylan Carter touched a lot of people's lives, and it's always awful to hear about losing someone so young. Our condolences go out to Dylan Carter’s family and friends at this time.

Blake Shelton sings a lot of songs about being a country boy who likes his farm, his family, his truck, and his God — though probably not in that order — but for him it’s more than just lip service. Shelton may have 13 studio albums, more than 30 No. 1 hits on country radio, a chain of restaurant/bars and a 23-season stint on The Voice under his belt, but he embodies that cowboy lifestyle, and when it comes to maintaining his sanity, he has a very on-brand remedy.

The “God’s Country” singer and his wife Gwen Stefani — who met when they were coaches on The Voice — have made no secret about how much they love the “Oklahoma life,” and it turns out when Blake Shelton’s not recording music or traveling with his new music competition show The Road, he has no qualms about shutting the phone off to do some hunting, fishing or just spending quality time with Stefani and his three stepsons. He told Forbes:

Blake Shelton spent a lot of years missing out on family get-togethers and other personal events due to his touring schedule or — more likely — The Voice’s filming schedule. It must be so refreshing these days to be able to prioritize his personal life.

The country music star said he shut down for about a year after leaving NBC’s singing competition — which he said was “just too good of a job to walk away from, until one day the frustration outweighed everything else.” He said for the longest time he really did do absolutely nothing. In his words:

I really love that he was able to step away and spend time with family and rediscover his passion for country music. Not only has this led him to team up with Taylor Sheridan and Keith Urban to help budding artists (The Road Season 1 can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription), but he’s taken to sending his former Voice colleagues delicious refreshments from the farm.

He and Gwen Stefani have even made good use of all the tabloid covers their relationship inspired — wallpapering their bathroom with them.

Blake Shelton has told us time again he wants to be doing nothing more than spending time with his family on his Oklahoma ranch, and it sounds like he’s really found the perfect way to shut out all the noise to maintain his sanity.

Despite some wild reports about The Voice Season 30 — on which Adam Levine has been confirmed to return — I don’t expect to see Blake Shelton back, while the future of The Road is also up in the air. Stay tuned to the 2026 TV schedule for more updates.

It definitely seems like Adam Levine is having a blast since making his big return to The Voice following a 10-season hiatus, and the fun’s not over yet. After recording his fourth overall victory on Season 29’s “Battle of Champions” with a very deserving Alexia Jayy, the Maroon 5 singer will be in the Big Red Chairs again when Season 30 premieres on the 2026 TV schedule this fall. So what made this the right time for a comeback?

No other coaches have yet been confirmed for The Voice’s upcoming milestone season, which will mark Adam Levine’s 19th time as a superstar mentor. The rockstar was one of the original coaches of The Voice, appearing on the first 16 seasons — and contributing to some of the competition’s wildest moments — before walking away for 10 seasons. As People confirmed his return for Season 30, Levine explained what drew him back to the show after so long, saying:

During Adam Levine’s original run, The Voice was filming two seasons a year, with a good portion of the episodes airing live. The NBC singing competition has since taken to recording two seasons simultaneously with limited live episodes — or, in the case of the recently wrapped Season 29, zero live episodes.

The original filming schedule was a lot to handle, especially for Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, the latter of whom was definitely showing his frustrations by the end of his 23-season run. Levine can relate, as he said:

After taking some time to be at home with his family and focus on making music with Maroon 5, the “stars aligned,” he has said, and the timing was right for him to come back to The Voice. Although he said he didn’t miss the show after he left, coming back was a different story, and the amount of nostalgia that he experienced was surprising to him.

We don’t know yet who will be joining Adam Levine when Season 30 premieres, but Gold Derby reports there will be a new artist to add to our list of The Voice coaches. And as much as Levine liked the three-coach format, the showrunner has confirmed they’ll be returning to a quartet of superstar mentors.

Will the “Sunday Morning” crooner be able to continue his legacy of winning this fall? We’ll be keeping an eye out for updates on the upcoming season, but in the meantime, you can relive Adam Levine's victorious Season 29 journey with Alexia Jayy by streaming The Voice with a Peacock subscription.

We’re mere hours away from learning who will win The Voice Season 29 and which coach will claim bragging rights for the first-ever Battle of Champions. The Top 9 were cut down to the Top 4 in Monday’s Semifinals, and here, I’m taking a look at that quartet of artists who the studio audience voted through to the finale — which will air Tuesday on the 2026 TV schedule — and picking who I think should win The Voice Season 29.

The Battle of Champions has made a lot of changes to the competition we’ve grown so familiar with (like only having three coaches), and another big one is how the winner will be chosen. For the first time in The Voice’s history, there are no live episodes and no vote from America. I can’t say I love this twist as much as I like the reduction in coaches, but NBC doesn’t really make a habit of asking my opinion. Below, I'll break down the performances that earned these artists a spot in the Top 4 and give my pick for the winner.

SPOILER ALERT! From here on out, I will be discussing the four artists who were voted on to advance to the finale during Monday’s episode. If you haven’t seen the April 13 Semifinals, you can stream the episode with a Peacock subscription.

Team Adam’s Finalist: Alexia Jayy

Alexia Jayy, a 31-year-old singer from Alabama was the first artist voted through by a special studio audience composed of The Voice superfans and alumni, beating out her fellow members of Adam Levine’s team, Jeremy Keith and Jared Shoemaker. This may have only been the Semifinals, but she gave a finale-worthy performance of “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)” by Aretha Franklin, which you can see above.

The Voice coaches gave her glowing praise, with John Legend saying she exudes creativity and positive energy. Kelly Clarkson — who screamed throughout the performance but was crying by the end — lauded Alexia Jayy’s strength and femininity. Jayy’s coach just said she was “the best singer ever" and that he felt more like a fan than a mentor.

Team Legend’s Finalist: Lucas West

The audience was captivated by 21-year-old Lucas West’s rendition of Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed,” (above) which closed out the Semifinal performances Monday night. The New Yorker will represent John Legend in the finale, knocking out teammates KJ Willis and Syd Millevoi. The coaches called West the complete package, as he dazzled the room with both his piano skills and his voice.

Adam Levine called Lucas West “captivating,” and while Kelly Clarkson said she doesn’t like the lack of intimacy of stadium shows, she thinks West is the kind of artist who would totally crush in that type of venue. John Legend pointed out that his knack for tackling big songs by big artists signalled strong songwriting acumen, and he can’t wait to see some original material.

Team Kelly’s First Finalist: Liv Ciara

Liv Ciara may not have turned a chair in Season 28, but she is making Season 29 her own. The 16-year-old from Missouri produced her own version of Irene Cara’s “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” starting out a capella but building up to those huge runs that you crave in singing competition finales. (You’ll want to watch the above video.) The crowd went absolutely nuts, and Adam Levine said he was sad that she wasn’t on his team:

Kelly Clarkson said a fire’s been lit under Liv Cara, and she’s hungry for the win. Don’t sleep on this one when it’s all on the line in Tuesday’s finale.

Team Kelly’s Second Finalist: Mikenley Brown

Because Kelly Clarkson’s past champions won the All-Star Showdown, she earned a second spot in the finale, which went to Mikenley Brown, the 19-year-old from Indiana. Brown has been an inspiration throughout the competition, and on this night she became a real competitor. Brown sang “I’m Not the Only One” by Sam Smith, and John Legend and Adam Levine said this performance demanded that people take notice of her.

Her coach agreed, as Kelly Clarkson said believability is key with Mikenley Brown. Lots of people can sing a great song, the American Idol alum said, but she buys what Brown is selling. It’s been a joy to watch Brown this season as she spoke out about not letting anyone else tell you who you are. Her song choices spoke to her message all season, from Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” to Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” Check out her Semifinal performance above.

With Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown representing Kelly Clarkson in the Season 29 finale, that meant the end of the road for her third semifinalist, country music artist JW Griffin.

Who I Think Should Win, Based On The Semifinals? Alexia Jayy

I’ll admit, I’ve got a soft spot for the blues, so Alexia Jayy’s Semifinal performance was right up my alley. She had the gritty scream, the super low notes and just so much power. I loved her set that had the band circled around her like the queen she is.

This performance was the latest in a season that saw her crush “You Give Good Love” by Whitney Houston and another Aretha song — "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which earned her a Triple Turn in the Blind Auditions. Alexia Jayy hasn’t fumbled, and while she’s still got some performing to do Tuesday, she’s my choice to win going into the final night.

With a whole episode of finale performances to go, the competition is still anyone’s for the taking. The special studio audience will again vote after these four take the stage, and a winner will be announced by the end of the episode. Tune in to see who wins over the superfans and Voice alumni, starting at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, April 14, on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

A winner will be announced this week on The Voice, as Season 29’s “Battle of Champions” will be decided in back-to-back slots on the 2026 TV schedule. The end of the Knockouts last week solidified the final nine contestants who will compete for the audience’s vote (not America’s vote) in Monday’s Semifinals, and I’m surprised that both Kelly Clarkson and John Legend made the same candid confession about their final three.

This season’s three coaches — Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Adam Levine — are each taking a trio of artists into the April 13 episode, and if you’re surprised to see KJ Willis, Syd Millevoi and Lucas West leading the way for Team Legend, well, that makes one of you. The EGOT winner admitted his Top 3 hasn’t changed since the Blind Auditions, telling People:

Strangely enough, Kelly Clarkson said the same thing about JW Griffin, Liv Ciara and Mikenley Brown, as she said to People:

My feelings about these candid confessions are mixed. While this definitely speaks to the strength of the semifinalists, I also feel a bit disheartened for the singers who lost in the Battle and Knockout rounds. How much of a chance did they have to change their coaches’ minds — particularly since, as she pointed out, Kelly Clarkson missed some rehearsal days?

The Voice coaches have discussed in the past how they try not to play favorites and let the performances determine who wins each dual. But, when you’ve got two of three coaches of The Voice saying that their favorites on Day 1 are still their favorites going into the penultimate episode, it just gives me a moment of pause.

That’s not to take away from the semifinalists, though, because they are phenomenal. I really don’t begrudge Kelly Clarkson or John Legend for sticking with these artists. As Legend said about his trio:

Kelly Clarkson spoke to the “raw soul” that she hears in each of her team members. When you’re listening to their music, she said:

I’m excited for the two nights of musical storytelling that are coming our way. The Top 9 will compete at 9 p.m. ET Monday, April 13 in the Semifinals, with the Top 4 (one each from Adam Levine and John Legend’s teams and two from Kelly Clarkson’s as she won the All-Star Showdown) competing in the Season 29 Finale at 9 p.m. ET Tuesday, April 14.

For the first time in The Voice’s history, there will be no live episodes. The Semifinals and Finale were pre-recorded, with the winner decided by a studio audience of alumni and superfans. The results will be announced at the end of Tuesday’s episode.

Spoiler alert! Minor spoilers ahead for The Voice Season 29 Knockouts that aired April 6. The episode is now available to stream with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice “Battle of Champions” is down to its Top 9, with each of Season 29’s trio of coaches finalizing their teams of three in the Knockout round. After the contestants’ final head-to-head performances, the show did something it had never done before — it welcomed back past winners to compete in the inaugural All-Star Showdown, and one performance was so emotional that Kelly Clarkson was brought to tears.

Five champions from The Voice’s past and one former finalist took the stage for a special in-season competition that aired Monday on the 2026 TV schedule. It was actually wonderful to see so many familiar faces perform on The Voice stage again, but for Kelly Clarkson, hearing Season 17 winner Jake Hoot’s cover of “Desperado” caused a strong emotional reaction. She told him:

Others in the studio were clearly moved by Kelly Clarkson’s words, including Girl Named Tom’s Bekah Grace Liechty, who was also seen wiping away tears. You can see Jake Hoot’s moving performance below:

In addition to Jake Hoot, Kelly Clarkson welcomed back Girl Named Tom — the first (and so far only) group to ever win The Voice — while Adam Levine brought back the very first Voice champion, Javier Colon, as well as Jordan Smith. John Legend invited his sole winner, Maelyn Jarmon, and Season 25 finalist Renzo, and I’d have to agree with Clarkson that there was something special about hearing them all sing again.

As some of The Voice coaches said, I’d forgotten just how good these singers were, so it was good to be reminded. I also wasn’t aware of some of the success these artists have seen post-show, including Javier Colon winning a regional Emmy in 2025 for his musical tribute to frontline workers and Jordan Smith co-writing the song “Ashes” that Celine Dion recorded for the Deadpool 2 soundtrack.

Overall, though, the All-Star Showdown was all about the emotion that music evokes, and I certainly can’t blame Kelly Clarkson for shedding a few tears. This season was likely not an easy one for the American Idol champ to get through, as she was dealing with the illness and ultimate death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock. Her absence reportedly caused some “crucial” parts of the season to be delayed, and Jennifer Hudson was called to fill in for her in Battle rehearsals.

As far as the competition goes, though, things are still going Kelly Clarkson’s way. After she won The Voice’s inaugural Triple Turn Competition, her team was also declared the winner of the All-Star Showdown, meaning she’ll take an extra artist into next week’s finals.

Tune in at 9 p.m. ET Monday and Tuesday, April 13 and 14, for The Voice Season 29 Semifinals and Finals on back-to-back nights on NBC.

The competition is fierce on The Voice, of which the 29th season is airing on the 2026 TV schedule. Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Adam Levine are engaged in the “Battle of Champions,” as all three of the Voice coaches have previously won the show. Whoever takes the W this season will have huge bragging rights, but as Clarkson looked back at her very first win, it sounds like nothing could beat getting “the ultimate revenge” on Blake Shelton.

It doesn’t matter how long Blake Shelton has been gone from The Voice, his spirit lingers. The cowboy had a reputation for winning all of the country music artists and then rubbing it in his colleagues’ faces as he racked up nine wins over 23 seasons. That means he bumped heads a lot with Kelly Clarkson. Just recently, the current coach took a look back at her biggest moments recently, and when she happened upon a photo of Brynn Cartelli from Season 14, she said:

Clarkson winning The Voice with Brynn Cartelli was quite the unforgettable experience, but that’s thanks in part to Shelton. The trolling came early and often from the country music superstar, who set the tone for what would be one of the show’s greatest rivalries by saying on Clarkson’s first episode:

Blake Shelton continued to make a point over the years to downplay Kelly Clarkson’s country music experience — much in the same way that John Legend and Reba McEntire did her dirty on the current season — and that’s what made her Season 14 victory oh-so-sweet. Clarkson said:

The American Idol champ expressed a similar sentiment when recalling her Season 17 win with Jake Hoot, saying:

Say what you will about Blake Shelton's trolling of his fellow Voice coaches, but there’s something to be said for his tactics when even in the sixth season since he walked away from the Big Red Chair, Kelly Clarkson and other mentors continue to hold their victories over him as the highest honor they’ve achieved on the show.

Blake Shelton may not be around anymore, but tune in to see who will win the “Battle of Champions,” as Season 29 continues at 9 p.m. ET Mondays on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice’s revamped 29th season is flying by — much like Jennifer Hudson’s shoes — as the Battle round has wrapped, leaving this season’s three coaches with just six team members apiece. The so-called “Battle of Champions” has been full of surprises, and J-Hud’s return was one of the latest. After watching her fill in for Kelly Clarkson, I’m now desperate for a season that features all coaches who came to fame through reality competitions.

I Loved The Advice Jennifer Hudson Had For Team Kelly

It was previously reported that Kelly Clarkson had missed some filming days for The Voice Season 29 after the death of her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. However, it was only when the Battles began that we learned Jennifer Hudson was returning to pull double duty as Team Kelly’s Battle Advisor and coach during rehearsals.

J-Hud was previously a coach on The Voice in Seasons 13 and 15 and a Mega Mentor on Season 26, and while we all remember her penchant for throwing shoes, I’d forgotten how strong those competitive juices flow. It should come as no surprise, of course, from someone who took a seventh-place finish on American Idol and became an EGOT winner with her own talk show (complete with that viral Spirit Tunnel).

Where The Voice’s other coaches encourage their Battle contestants to forget about the competition and focus on chemistry with their duet partner, Jennifer Hudson went in the opposite direction, reminding Kelly Clarkson’s artists they were vying for the same spot. As she told Drew Russell and Jared Shoemaker in the March 23 episode (streaming with a Peacock subscription):

Her unique perspective coming from a talent competition makes me want to see how her strategies would play out against Kelly Clarkson and other artists who have found fame on American Idol and other talent shows.

I Want To See A Full Coaching Panel Of Former Competition Stars

Artists like Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson bring such gravitas to The Voice because they’ve been through this. It’s why Carrie Underwood returning to American Idol as a judge was such a big deal. It’s why Clarkson and John Legend butted heads earlier this season over song choice. Now I’m so curious to see what four former competition stars would do if pitted against each other.

Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Niall Horan — whose former band One Direction was formed on The X Factor in 2010 — would be obvious options, with all of them having coached on The Voice before.

There are endless options for a fourth, including Cassadee Pope or another past winner of The Voice. I’d love to see Adam Lambert (American Idol Season 8 runner-up) or Kelly Rowland (who competed on Star Search), and if The Voice weren’t so entwined with Blake Shelton, his ex-wife Miranda Lambert, who came in third on Nashville Star in 2003, would be an option.

Or maybe The Voice would stick to its 3-chair format. However they’d choose to do it would be fine with me. I was just delighted to hear Jennifer Hudson offering some different advice during the Battle round, and I think it would be a treat to see her face off against Kelly Clarkson and others who have been through a similar experience.

See how The Voice Season 29 plays out, with new episodes airing at 9 p.m. ET Mondays on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

It’s pretty wild to see how much of a difference one chair makes (even if that chair is a Big Red one), as The Voice has downsized to just three coaches for Season 29. Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson and John Legend have been duking it out on the singing competition’s first all-champion panel, but how do they feel about losing their fourth? The Maroon 5 frontman actually loves it, and I’m surprised that I agree with him.

There were a lot of unknowns before The Voice Season 29 premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, with host Carson Daly promising plenty of all-new twists for the sports-themed “Battle of Champions.” Going from four coaches to three was arguably the biggest change though, and it’s one that has been fully embraced by Adam Levine, who told NBC:

Fans of The Voice know that Adam Levine loves to cause trouble, so it makes sense that he supports a change that makes it easier for him to banter with his fellow coaches of The Voice. He also said his familiarity with Kelly Clarkson and John Legend — who all appeared together on Season 16, along with Blake Shelton — forced him to get more creative in pitching himself to potential team members.

I have to say, I agree with him, and I wasn’t sure that would be the case. I was frankly confused by the Season 29 revamp and definitely not happy with the number of contestants being reduced to 30 (10 per coach), in comparison to the 48 or more we’ve seen in previous seasons.

However, just like taking the coach count down allows for a better rapport amongst them, I think giving more time to fewer artists has benefited Season 29 so far. For one thing, the coaches were super picky about which singers they turned for, creating some amazingly talented teams. In fact, Adam Levine called one Team Kelly battle from March 16 the “best Battle round in the history of the show.” (See that performance below.)

We’ve also been able to get to know the contestants better, with no performances being severely truncated in the interest of saving time. While I’d still like to see more than 30 artists on future seasons, I actually loved having fewer nights of Blind Auditions, because by the time we got to the Battles, I hadn’t completely forgotten the singers we met in the beginning.

I’m not sure the reduction to three Big Red Chairs is something we’ll see permanently, but I agree with Adam Levine that there are benefits to the format that could open up producers’ options going forward.

Tune in to see how the rest of Season 29 plays out, with new episodes airing at 9 p.m. ET Mondays on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Things have already gotten a bit fiery on The Voice’s revamped 29th season, especially between Kelly Clarkson and John Legend, as they — along with Adam Levine — compete to win the show’s first season with an all-champion coaching panel. First, Legend turned Reba McEntire against her own former daughter-in-law, and then things got really interesting during a strong debate over song choice strategy. In fact, their “fight” actually changed my opinion on how important coach selection is.

Don’t get me wrong, obviously some artists are going to gel better with specific coaches — it’s the main reason I’m glad they’ve done away with Blocks — but for the most part I’ve always thought that singers would benefit from the mentorship, regardless of which of The Voice coaches they landed with. I’m not so sure anymore. On the second night of auditions (airing March 2 on the 2026 TV schedule), Mike Steele earned that coveted Triple Turn, and the mentors went about trying to recruit him to their team.

John Legend started by asking what artists the 28-year-old Mississippi singer liked to cover, likely already forming a plan of which GIVĒON, Tyrese and Jodeci songs he could get for his potential team member. Kelly Clarkson, however, was concocting a different strategy, as she said:

John Legend clearly disagreed with this line of thinking, as he addressed the artist on stage:

Probably around this point, Adam Levine started attempting to remind Mike Steele that he also had turned his chair, and while he didn’t offer his own song choice strategy, he did offer him refuge from the drama, saying he hated it “when Mom and Dad fight.” But the debate continued:

• Kelly: I’m going to be honest with you. We’re so different, so everything he said, I would not do. So don’t choose me if that’s what you like. No, because here’s why. It’s because I went on a competition and sang Aretha Franklin almost every week, and then I made a pop-rock album. This is the time, I think, that you should stretch yourself a bit.
• John: But he’s doing it on national TV. This is his moment. This is his moment to tell people who he is.
• Kelly: I just think this is the moment that you are able to stretch and do things. So I don’t think you should pick me if that’s the route you want to go, because I am totally going to push you to pick things that are maybe outside of the box.

It got pretty intense, with Kelly Clarkson even reminding everyone that, hey, I won American Idol, remember? Thankfully, the tension didn’t last long, as they hugged it out and agreed they were done fighting.

Honestly I see both sides. I’m inclined to agree with John Legend, because if an artist only gets one or two weeks of national exposure, they can still start to grow a fanbase if they’ve more or less previewed the kind of album they’d want to make.

However, it’s also really hard to argue with somebody who not only has actually been through this process and achieved so much success in its aftermath, but also has taken more artists to The Voice finish line than her compatriots.

Either way, it’s really interesting to see how different coaches approach their artists’ journeys, and it proved just how important it is to choose the right coach. Mike Steele ended up going with John Legend, so he must have connected with the EGOT winner’s plan to take advantage of his moment. You can see Steele’s audition and the ensuing debate below:

Tune in to see how Mike Steele fares in the competition and which coach’s strategy pays off! The Voice Season 29 airs at 9 p.m. ET Mondays on NBC, streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice’s revamped Season 29 is underway, with some pretty major changes to the competition’s structure, including the impending return of some past fan favorites and only featuring three coaches this season. The Voice has leaned into Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and John Legend not having a fourth superstar to compete against by initiating a new twist — the Triple Turn Competition — but I can’t help but think the prize is not significant enough to justify all of the hype.

Four Chair Turns have always been a big deal on The Voice, and that makes sense because of how often they produce the season’s eventual winner. The coaches wear it like a badge of honor when they’re able to convince an artist to join their team over the other three, so in that respect, I like the idea of attaching a prize to whoever can do it the most. However, they’re going way overboard in terms of how much of a difference this prize will make in the competition.

Let me break it down. When The Voice Season 29 Blind Auditions wrap (which will be the next episode to hit the 2026 TV schedule on March 9), whichever coach has won the most Three Chair Turns will earn a Super Steal for the Battles. That means they can immediately secure an eliminated artist from another team, bypassing any other coaches' steal attempts.

However, with just three coaches this season and no Saves, the mentor with the Super Steal will — at most — be going up against one other coach. So the big advantage is getting an artist that they already had a 50% chance at anyway. That’s kind of underwhelming, especially with all the hoopla surrounding the Triple Turn Competition.

Basically, all John Legend talked about on the March 2 episode was how determined he was to beat out Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson on a Triple Turn. The Voice has even brought in comedian Druski and former NBA player Derek Fisher to remind us of where the coaches stand.

No shade to them at all, because they’re being asked to break down a very simple on-screen graphic that reads, “Adam Levine: 3, Kelly Clarkson: 2, John Legend: 1.” There’s literally not much to say other than, “Can Adam maintain the momentum?” and “John better step it up!” I see what the show is trying to do with the whole sports-themed season, but it’s just simply not worthy of such fanfare.

It would be different if there were still four coaches, and the Super Steal had the power to override two other coaches’ regular Steals. Also, if the Super Steal were given in addition to the competition winner’s regular Steal, thus adding a team member for that person to take into the Knockouts, that would be major.

As it is, though, the Triple Turn Competition is underwhelming with such low stakes that it’s increasingly bothersome how much emphasis is being put on it during the Blind Auditions. At least the first round of competition is almost over. Tune in to see how the teams fill out when The Voice continues at 9 p.m. ET Monday, March 9, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice is officially back, as the “Battle of Champions” premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, introducing the first of the artists hoping to work with either Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson or John Legend. The NBC singing competition is packing a lot into its revamped 29th season, including a couple of twists we haven’t seen before. One of those — the Triple Turn Competition — kicked off February 23, and I can’t get over how quickly Legend blew up his chances.

What Is The Voice’s Triple Turn Competition?

There’s a reason there are only three coaches on The Voice this season, and it’s got a lot to do with trying to fit in all the fun of NBC’s sports-themed Legendary February. Big twists coming to Season 29 include an “In-Season All-Star Competition,” in which fan-favorite alumni will go head-to-head to try to earn an advantage for their former coach, as well as the Triple Turn Competition.

The Voice has always made a big deal about Four-Chair Turns, and it’s going a step further now that the coach count has been reduced — whichever superstar mentor wins the most Triple Turn artists gets a Super Steal in the next round. That means they’ll have the power to steal the losing artist of a battle for their team, regardless of who else wants a shot at them.

With the start of Blind Auditions, the Triple Turn Competition kicked off, and that’s where we get to the misfortune of John Legend.

How John Legend ‘Engineered [His] Own Demise’

Alexia Jayy was the second artist to take the stage on The Voice Season 29, and all three coaches wanted to work with her after hearing her version of "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman." When the mentors learned that Jayy’s 9-year-old son Matthew was there to support his mom, they brought him out on stage, and this happened:

• John Legend: Who do you listen to, Matthew?
• Matthew: Maroon 5.
• John Legend: Oh no, that backfired!

This elicited a lot of fist-pumping from Adam Levine, as he ran on stage to thank Matthew. John Legend realized the error of his ways, commenting:

Unfortunately, he was right, because Alexia Jayy chose Team Adam. The Maroon 5 frontman treated Matthew and his mother to the basketball jerseys being given to each contestant, but Carson Daly suggested that Adam Levine probably owed him something more expensive, like a car, for helping to close that deal.

See how it all went down:

As the celebrations continued, John Legend had a bitter pill to swallow, telling cameras:

The EGOT winner continued to pace the stage in the downtime between auditions, musing regretfully to the crowd chanting Adam’s name:

Come on, John, you’ve got four kids — you know better than to ask questions you don’t want the honest answers to!

While the “Glory” singer’s faux pas had no direct bearing on the other two Triple Turns of the episode, his luck didn’t get any better. Kelly Clarkson (who was done dirty herself by her own ex-mother-in-law Reba McEntire) won Abigayle Oakley from the other Voice coaches, and Adam Levine also procured Jeremy Keith, putting him in the lead of the side competition after one night.

Will John Legend be able to rally? Only time will tell, but I bet he’ll think twice before inviting more family members on stage. The Voice Season 29 Blind Auditions continue at 9 p.m. ET Monday, March 2, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice is shaking things up for its 29^th season on the 2026 TV schedule, and the coaches are really looking to step it up. In the new season, dubbed Battle of Champions, veteran coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Adam Levine will be duking it out to see who's the best of the best among them. That (friendly) fight is already getting humorously brutal, as Clarkson is trolling her fellow co-mentors over how amount wins they currently have.

A recently posted Instagram reel from Billboard shows a behind-the-scenes peek at some promo for Season 29. The actual promo is meant to show Clarkson introducing a choir and joining them to sing “We Are the Champions.” Not surprisingly, in the BTS clip, the songstress made sure to say that some of the judges have been champions more often than others. Levine, in the background, was definitely not having it, and I just love this funny exchange between co-stars:

The Voice coaches have been on a roller coaster throughout the show’s run in terms of wins and, between the three for Season 29, they have a combined eight wins, including the very first win of the entire series. While it may not seem like much, out of 28 seasons and the occasional rotation of judges, that's pretty impressive. So, of course, Clarkson felt the need to brag that she has the most wins with four. That’s just one more than Levine, and I can only imagine how many times the famous famous American Idol alum has brought that up.

Arguably one of the best parts of The Voice, aside from the singers, is seeing the coaches trolling and shading one another. To be clear, it’s all in good fun, but it’s always hilarious seeing the kinds of quips the coaches will come up with to get under each other's skin. Bringing up how many wins they have and don’t have is certainly par for the course. And, since this is the Battle of Champions, it's easy to imagine that Clarkson will bring up her win tally more than once as she seeks to add to it.

On that note, Clarkson does have a slight advantage over her peers. While Levine won the first season of The Voice, Clarkson won the first season of American Idol and, whenever she’s on The Voice and trying to nab a singer, she makes sure to reiterate that she’s done a singing competition before and understands how to evaluate talent. Whether or not that success will continue into Season 29 is unclear.

The judge trolling will most certainly continue as Season 29 progresses, and I cannot wait to see what happens and who eventually comes out on top at the end of Battle of Champions. New episodes of The Voice air on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Blake Shelton may no longer be on The Voice, but the trolling amongst his co-stars has never stopped. The country crooner’s final chair turn came back in 2023, but even after two years, we're still getting gems aimed right at the country singer. The Voice coaches are known for getting under each other’s skins, but I did not see Gwen Stefani taking some side shrapnel when Daly took it upon himself to humorously throw shade Shelton's Sexiest Man Alive title.

Ahead of The Voice Season 29’s premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, the cast gathered at a The Voice Karaoke Night in New York City. While there, Carson Daly had reminded fans that three former coaches have been crowned Sexiest Man Alive, including Shelton, who took the title in 2017. To this day, Daly joked with People he’s still unclear how that even happened:

To be fair, Shelton’s Sexiest Man Alive title definitely shocked a lot of people, not just Daly, but it came at a pretty fitting time in his life. The Voice was at its peak, and Shelton would go on to win his sixth season just a month after his new title was announced. Plus, he was doing well on the country charts. Even so, Daly still doesn’t understand why he was given the title, and he had my smiling with that sly Stefani crack.

I would love to know what Shelton’s response would be to this accusation, because he has trolling down to a science at this point. All joking aside, it is nice to know that everyone on The Voice gets along well enough to kid like this. t just shows how close everyone who has been on the show is. It's also nice to know that joking and trolling extends outside the competition series, such as when Kelly Clarkson even hilariously shaded Shelton during an impromptu vow renewal at one of her concerts.

As noted above, Daly is not the first person to troll Shelton, and he won’t be the last. When his new title was announced, Miley Cyrus also couldn't resist a Sexiest Man Alive dig in a video, saying no one knows sexy better than her, while Shelton was sitting next to her and drinking with his pinky out. We may be far off from 2017 at this point, but the title never dies, and neither do the jokes.

It’s unknown if Blake Shelton will ever return to The Voice, but if he does, I think we already know what the tone will be. At the very least, we can probably look forward to many more hilarious moments between the coaches and Daly, whether during The Voice or not.

The Voice: Battle of Champions is underway on the 2026 TV schedule, with Season 29 featuring just three coaches. Kelly Clarkson may have thought she was only going up against Adam Levine and John Legend, but she got quite the shock when Reba McEntire made a surprise appearance in the premiere. The queen of country popped in with an interesting message for this season’s contestants, and I can’t even believe she did her former daughter-in-law so dirty.

With no country music coach like Blake Shelton or Reba McEntire on this season’s panel, Kelly Clarkson admitted that she felt entitled to country artists like 19-year-old Julia Golden, who impressed both Clarkson and John Legend with her rendition of “Strawberry Wine.” Legend may not be as closely associated with the genre as his Texas-native colleague, but he sure did have a secret weapon. None other than McEntire herself popped up on the screen to deliver the following video message:

The disrespect is astonishing. Not only are Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire longtime friends who have performed together multiple times, they are family, with Clarkson having been married to McEntire’s stepson Brandon Blackstock.

The American Idol champion seemed to have the same thoughts, as upon seeing her former mother-in-law on the screen, she stood up and shouted:

No offense to John Legend at all, because of course the EGOT winner could do extremely well with a country music artist, but I’m just not buying the fact that Reba McEntire would go against Kelly Clarkson like that. Even host Carson Daly seemed to be in disbelief, saying:

Believe me, I watched the video back a few times to see if it was, in fact, a deepfake, and I'm still not fully convinced. Speaking to its validity, though, was Kelly Clarkson then getting Reba McEntire on the phone. The “Fancy” singer answered, though she kept her video turned off as Clarkson literally screamed:

Reba McEntire can be heard over the speakerphone telling The Voice coach to “Calm down, girl!” and ultimately agreed that, yes, Kelly Clarkson would also be an excellent coach for a country music artist. They ended the call by exchanging “I love you”s, with Clarkson saying:

In the end, the big swing by John Legend and Reba McEntire didn’t pay off, as Julia Golden decided to go with Kelly Clarkson anyway. The artist was in tears for pretty much the entire ordeal, in tearful disbelief as she asked, “Is Reba on the phone?” You can see it all play out below:

Even if Kelly Clarkson wasn’t more than qualified to coach a country artist, I think having Reba McEntire on speed-dial was enough to win Julia over.

With no Blocks available to the coaches — and therefore no way to keep Kelly Clarkson from raking in country artists — I don’t blame John Legend for calling in a pro, and I can’t wait to see what other twists are to come in The Voice’s revamped 29th season. Tune in for new episodes at 9 p.m. ET Mondays on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice’s revamped 29th season is finally upon us, and some big changes are coming with the return of NBC’s singing competition to the 2026 TV schedule. One of the biggest twists of the new season will be obvious from the start — for the first time in The Voice’s history, there are only three coaches instead of four. This major switchup confused me at first, but there’s a good reason for it, according to the showrunner.

Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and John Legend will be Season 29’s coaching trio, making up The Voice’s first-ever all-champion panel. However, it’s not like those are the only three coaches to ever win the show (nobody’s forgetting Blake Shelton’s nine victories), so why the reduction? According to EP Audrey Morrissey, it has to do with NBC adding NBA games to its primetime lineup, which resulted in fewer episodes and therefore smaller teams.

In fact, the teams are so small, there aren’t really enough contestants to justify a fourth coach, the EP told Gold Derby:

That's not even to mention how this all affects Brilliant Minds.

The Voice Season 29 will feature 30 singers vying for The Voice glory, with John Legend, Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine each leading a team of 10. Assuming that was the largest number of contestants the show could accommodate with its reduced episode count, that means adding a fourth coach would have led to teams of around 7, which I agree would be “ridiculous.”

As it is, 30 is already such a lower number than we’re used to. In Season 28, which saw Niall Horan’s team member Aiden Ross crowned the champion (leaving the One Directioner’s record on the show unblemished), there were 48 contestants chosen in Blind Auditions — 12 per team.

Season 27 also had 48, while Season 26 had a whopping 56-artist cast in 2024 — nearly double what we’re about to see this season.

There could be other factors at play in this “Battle of Champions,” as Ceelo Green will judge an "In-Season All-Star Competition," with each coach bringing back two fan-favorite team members. They will compete in head-to-head battles themselves, in hopes of earning their coach an extra artist in the finale. Those artists are:

Team Kelly

• Jake Hoot
• Girl Named Tom

Team Adam

• Javier Colon
• Jordan Smith

Team Legend

• Maelyn Jarmon
• Renzo

I’m not sure how many times the veteran artists will perform, but clearly this side contest also takes away time that would have otherwise been used by the singers in the main competition.

These aren’t the only big twists in store for The Voice Season 29. One change I’m super pumped for is no Blocks in the Blind Auditions, but I’m actually really disappointed that they’re also doing away with live episodes. Finale voting instead will fall to an in-studio audience of past contestants and superfans.

I'm interested in seeing how going from four coaches to three affects their strategies and, thankfully, we don’t have to wait any longer. The Voice Season 29 kicks off at 9 p.m. ET Monday, February 23, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Super Bowl is over, the NBA All-Star Game has passed, and the Winter Olympics are in their final week. However, there is still plenty to look forward to this month on NBC, and of course I’m talking about the return of The Voice. The “Battle of Champions” hits the 2026 TV schedule on February 23, and while the singing competition’s kickoff is always worthy of celebration, I am especially pumped for Season 29, because I just found out the show has finally made a change that I’ve been wanting for years.

Three of The Voice’s most prestigious coaches — Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and John Legend — will face off this season, and they recently sat down to discuss the harrowing competition to come. Much to my delight, the American Idol alum uttered five words that I have been waiting to hear:

The Blocks are gone!

In previous seasons, a coach had one Block to use during the Blind Auditions that would keep another coach from working with an artist — even if that coach hit their button and even if that was the mentor the contestant wanted to choose. It’s supposed to stir up drama between the coaches, but it ends up being a punishment for the artists, and I’ve been on my soapbox for five years asking them to get rid of the Blocks.

The topic came up when John Legend, Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson were talking about the all-stars who will be returning for a little side competition on The Voice Season 29, to be judged by Levine’s fellow OG coach Ceelo Green. Those artists are:

• Javier Colon (Team Adam, Season 1 winner)
• Jordan Smith (Team Adam, Season 9 winner)
• Maelyn Jarmon (Team Legend, Season 16 winner)
• Jake Hoot (Team Kelly, Season 17 winner)
• Girl Named Tom (Team Kelly, Season 21 winner, the only group so far to win the show)
• Renzo (Team Legend, Season 27 third-place)

Back in Season 27, John Legend blocked Adam Levine from working with Renzo, and there’s simply no way to know how that affected the artist’s journey on the show.

That's the problem with the Blocks. The singers have to go through so much to even get the opportunity to sing in front of the four coaches (or three, in the upcoming iteration), so if they think a certain coach has the most to offer them or can share some expertise in the artist’s genre to potentially give them a leg up once the show is over, The Voice should not include game mechanics to hinder that.

Sure, sometimes it works out, like in Season 20, when Nick Jonas blocked John Legend from Cam Anthony. There’s no way the R&B artist would have chosen to go with Blake Shelton if Legend had been an option, but the country music star promised to have Anthony’s back, and they won the whole season together.

That, however, is the exception, not the rule, so I’m glad for Season 29 the artists will be able to choose any coach who hits their button, with no fear of being blocked from them.

I can’t wait to see what other twists and turns Carson Daly has in store for us, and thankfully we don’t have to wait long to find out. The Voice Season 29 premieres at 9 p.m. ET Monday, February 23 on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

NBC is shaking up its 2026 TV schedule. It was recently announced that medical drama Brilliant Minds will not be returning after its Winter Olympics hiatus and will instead be held off for later this season to resume the rest of Season 2. The Voice Season 29, meanwhile, will be taking over its slot with an extra hour. While it’s good news for fans of The Voice, it’s bad news for Brilliant Minds.

The Zachary Quinto-led series was one of the final shows on NBC to secure a spot on the 2025-26 schedule, and unfortunately, things are not looking up. Even though one might think that the network simply wants to capitalize on The Voice: Battle of Champions, that may not be the full story. According to TV Series Finale, ratings for the medical drama have dipped for Season 2 from Season 1, and it's NBC’s lowest-rated series where the key 18-49 demo is concerned. Beyond that, it's drawing one of the network's smallest viewerships.

Then there’s the fact that a series being pulled from the schedule suddenly, regardless of the reason, is usually not a good sign. Even with the intriguing storylines Brilliant Minds has had this season already, between Eric Dane’s guest appearance and the crazy flash forward, on top of losing two cast members, it might not be enough to keep the show going. It is still early, and nothing has been confirmed, but being pulled usually doesn’t end well.

As of now, a return date for Brilliant Minds has not been released, but it’s assumed to be sometime in the spring or summer. There are only six episodes left of the season, so the fact that NBC doesn’t even want to let Brilliant Minds run for a month and a half before Season 2 ends is certainly troubling. If anything, fans will be able to return to Bronx General in the near future, just not as soon as they initially thought.

Meanwhile, as for The Voice, NBC is going above and beyond for the new season, and not just by adding an extra hour. Some of The Voice's most utilized coaches — Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and John Legend — will be returning for the special season, dubbed Battle of Champions, making it the first time that the panel of coaches consists of only three as they go head-to-head-to-head with new competitions, formats, and more. Not all of the changes make perfect sense, but it should be fun. Check out a trailer for it below.

As a Brilliant Minds fan, I could not be more disappointed that the show is being pulled from the schedule. Its future is not looking bright, but I am holding out hope that this does not indicate the end, but we’ll just have to wait and see. For now, all episodes of Brilliant Minds are streaming with a Peacock subscription, so while the show’s on a break, it would be a good time to do a rewatch.

Talent competition shows have been a thing for years, and are still going strong with series like America’s Got Talent (which just ended its milestone 20th season), The Voice, and American Idol, to name a few. You never know what kind of people will audition and if they will be good or bad, and what the favorites will be, but that’s what makes it all entertaining. Unfortunately, the shows don’t always end up a success, such as Netflix’s newest take on the genre on the 2026 TV schedule.

The streamer’s reboot of Star Search, which originally ran from 1983 to 1995, is not living up to the hype of its competitors. Premiering on January 20, the new series failed to crack Netflix’s Global top 10 charts in the first week, according to Deadline, bringing in less than 2.3 million views with its first two episodes. That being said, it did reach No. 5 on the U.S.-specific Top 10, with South Africa's charts being the only other place it popped up, coming in at No. 9 there.

Considering the series is hosted by Anthony Anderson with judges Sarah Michelle Gellar, Chrissy Teigen, and Jelly Roll, it’s unknown why it’s flopping and hard. The original series was a huge success, and featured dozens of future stars such as Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Aaliyah, Alanis Morissette, LeAnn Rimes, Dave Chappelle, Rosie O’Donnell, and Adam Sandler. Even the aforementioned reboot host and reality TV obsessive Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Star Search, streamed live to give viewers the opportunity to vote from home using their remote controls or phones, highlights contestants in all genres of music, dance, and variety/comedy. It’s hard to tell if the live element harmed the show, as it could be a hit or miss with Netflix, but the fact that viewers at home are able to still vote could also help. The series was previously rebooted in 2003 and ran to 2004 on CBS, consisting of four seasons.

Reality shows on Netflix tend to do pretty well, and the streamer has been adding a lot of them in recent years. But while live sporting events have done well, specials such as Alex Honnold's stressful Skyscraper Live! climb weren't quite as viewer-friendly. That being said, it is still early in the season, and only a few episodes have dropped, so perhaps Star Search just needs to find its footing and really get that promo out so more people can tune in.

Of course, not all shows can be America’s Got Talent or The Voice, and not even Star Search can be Star Search. Those with a Netflix subscription can check out the reboot themselves and see if it’s worth sticking around for the entire season. New episodes stream live on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.

It’s undeniable that Michael Bublé has made an impact on The Voice over the past three seasons, becoming only the third coach to score victories in both of their first two attempts (after Kelly Clarkson and Niall Horan). Now, he’s taking a step away as Season 29 prepares to hit the 2026 TV schedule, with family being his admittedly lovely reason for leaving. However, sources suggest there may be other factors at play.

The Voice Season 29 will see big changes for its “Battle of Champions,” including a complete overhaul of the coaching panel. Veteran coaches Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Adam Levine will return, effectively replacing the entire Season 28 team. A source suggested, however, that Michael Bublé had already made his decision to leave. An alleged insider told The Sun:

Concerns about him were raised during the Season 28 finale, as a supposed eyewitness said they saw The Voice coach expressing frustration off-camera that the band was overpowering the vocals. (I rewatched the performance in question — his Christmas song with finalist Max Chambers — and there was no indication on the broadcast that he was upset.)

There was speculation that Michael Bublé might be nervous or sick, with some fans commenting on social media that his voice wasn’t as smooth as usual and that he was having an off night.

The insider, however, suggested his issues might have been a bit deeper. In addition to missing his family, the Canadian crooner also allegedly struggled with online backlash. The source continued:

Now, it’s only natural that every fan of The Voice has coaches they prefer more than others, but I’ve heard way harsher criticism of other coaches over the years than I did of Michael Bublé. However, I also recognize this past season was kind of hard for anybody not named Niall Horan, and it can’t be easy to be in Los Angeles so much when his wife and four children are in Canada.

Personally, I love Michael Bublé and his stupid jokes. And as far as coaching goes, he obviously cares about music, his team members and his fellow mentors, so there’s not really anything worth complaining about outside of personal preference.

I’m hoping any “off” behavior from Michael Bublé in the finale can be chalked up to the realization that the end had come, rather than feeling the negativity of social media. It was an undoubtedly emotional night for the coach, with Jazz McKenzie and Max Chambers bringing him to tears with their kind words.

We’ll have to see if Season 28 really was his final time on The Voice, or if he might come back for a season down the road. In the meantime we’re gearing up for Season 29, which premieres at 9 p.m. ET Monday, February 23, on NBC and can be streamed the next day with a Peacock subscription.

History was made on The Voice last month, when Aiden Ross was crowned the 28th champion to make Niall Horan the show’s only undefeated coach. However, what comes next may be even more monumental, as John Legend, Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine face off in what has been dubbed The Voice: Battle of Champions. The competition is about to heat up, and I think Legend has the right idea for where to spend the lead-up to the premiere — in paradise with his family.

The Voice Season 29 is going to be epic, featuring only three coaches for the first time in the show’s history — all with nine or more seasons under their belts. With a month to go before the premiere hits the 2026 TV schedule, I can’t imagine a better way to prep than this:

This beach vacation seems to be doing John Legend and Chrissy Teigen good, because I didn’t think it was possible to look this relaxed and put-together with four little ones running around. The adorable family consists of Luna, 9, Miles, 7, Esti, who will be 3 this month, and Wren, 2.

There wasn’t a cloud in the sky when the EGOT winner gathered his two oldest kiddos for a boat ride. The sun shone down on perfect blue water, with mountains in the background as Miles and Luna were pictured snuggling up to their dad. In another pic, John Legend looks like quite the proud pop, posing for a selfie with his older daughter.

Miles and Luna also got to go horseback riding, as their little brother and sister got their fill of the sandy beach.

This trip comes after the family of six spent Christmas in New York, with John Legend writing on Instagram how special it was to show his and Chrissy Teigen’s children the city where they spent much of their early relationship, and they even got a snow day.

The beach is a great way to follow up snowy New York, and it’s also a fantastic reset before the “All of Me” singer heads back to The Voice for his 11th season. John Legend has worked with Kelly Clarkson several times before, with Season 29 being her 10th, but this will only be the third meeting between Legend and Adam Levine, who returns for his 18th run.

In fact, John Legend’s premiere on The Voice was in Season 16 — the Maroon 5 frontman’s last before a 10-season hiatus, which apparently sparked rumors that Legend was responsible for Adam Levine’s exit. Season 29 should be loads of fun, because this trio of The Voice coaches are all very friendly but also extremely competitive.

I’m also excited to see what all the Battle of Champions has in store. The Voice host Carson Daly has promised new twists and “competitive elements” that we’ve never seen before, including a side competition between former fan-favorite contestants hosted by CeeLo Green.

Hopefully John Legend’s vacation in paradise puts him in the right mindset to win, because it all kicks off at 9 p.m. ET Monday, February 23, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Minor spoilers for The Voice Season 28 can be found in this article. So, if you aren't caught up, check it out with a Peacock subscription!

After some intense competition, The Voice Season 28 crowned a victor from Team Niall, with Aiden Ross taking the top prize. Fans will soon be able to look forward to even more competition when the series returns for Season 29 on the 2026 TV schedule. That season, dubbed Battle of Champions, is getting a huge revamp and will only see Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Adam Levine returning as coaches, but future seasons will likely see some more fan-favorites return. However, Michael Bublé may be out for good, and if the rumors hold true, I think the reason why is lovely.

The Grammy winner has served as a coach on The Voice since Season 26, winning his first two consecutive seasons. He's been a big success as a coach, and with the viewers, but it might not be all that it’s cracked up to be. According to The US Sun, Bublé has been dividing his time between Los Angeles, where the show films, and Vancouver, where he resides with his wife and children. An insider alleges it’s been taking a toll.

Additionally, the source claims The Voice’s filming schedule has made it “impossible” for him to have a normal life. Listen, no one has officially stated Bublé is stepping away from the series, but if he does step away, this is a very compelling reason. The popular crooner has four kids. His oldest is 12 and his youngest is just three. I totally see why having to be away from them for months at a time could be difficult, and that's what the insider is saying, here:

Michael Bublé has been very entertaining during his three seasons on The Voice, as he became the first coach to break his chair. In addition, his bromance with Adam Levine has also been one for the books. Of course, it’s hard to top Levine and Blake Shelton, but it’s sweet knowing that dynamic can exist outside of the OG duo.

If Bublé were to leave The Voice, that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be permanent. The Voice coaches have left and returned before, so it’s not like he couldn’t ever come back. Since nothing has been confirmed for future seasons beyond Season 29, fans shouldn’t worry too much right now. At the very least, if Bublé does exit for good, it sounds like he has a pretty good reason for doing so, and I wouldn’t blame him in the slightest for wanting to take a step back.

Meanwhile, there always seem to be rumors surrounding future seasons of The Voice and who could be returning or leaving. Reportedly, The Voice is shelling out millions for some of its most popular coaches, with Shelton, Levine, Gwen Stefani, and Clarkson as their dream lineup for Season 30. Allegedly, things have not been finalized, but it wouldn’t be surprising if NBC were trying to get Shelton and Levine to reunite since their bromance was arguably the best part of the show. But as always, you never know what could happen.

We'll find out more when the show returns on February 23.

Fans of The Voice are in for a treat on the 2026 TV schedule with a revamped Season 29 coming to NBC in February that will feature new twists and Kelly Clarkson reuniting with Adam Levine for the first time in seven years. However, the singing competition also has a milestone coming up next fall, and apparently big plans are in the works. If the rumors are true, The Voice Season 30 could feature arguably the most impressive panel yet, but I’ve got one Blake Shelton-sized concern.

According to an alleged insider, The Sun reports that The Voice is trying to get Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Gwen Stefani and Kelly Clarkson as their dream lineup to coach Season 30, and they’re reportedly willing to shell out millions of dollars to do it. The source reported:

The tabloid notes that nothing has been finalized yet, and there’s still plenty of time for things to change, with The Voice Season 30 not expected to go into production until late spring or early summer.

I agree that when looking at all of The Voice coaches, it’s hard to beat this lineup. A Blake Shelton reunion with Adam Levine seems like it should be top priority, and throwing Kelly Clarkson back into the competitive mix would be fantastic. Gwen Stefani makes sense as the fourth coach, as she and Shelton could return to the stage where they first met over a decade ago on Season 7.

Here’s why I’m wary to believe these rumors: Blake Shelton still has yet to show any interest in returning to The Voice. Of course he would be amongst NBC’s dream lineup; everybody wants to see the cowboy and the Maroon 5 rocker together again, but it seems like a long shot that it would actually happen. The insider even acknowledged this, saying:

Blake Shelton has said he shut down for about a year after leaving The Voice in 2023, and once he became motivated to help up-and-coming artists again, he landed on The Road (streaming with a Paramount+ subscription), where he traveled with musicians competing to open for Keith Urban.

It’s not just Blake Shelton, though, who could pose a problem for this dream Season 30 lineup. As the supposed insider noted:

Kelly Clarkson left The Voice when she and her Emmy-winning talk show relocated to New York, and she’s expressed the need to stay on the East Coast to give her children stability. It seems like that might be especially important following the death of Brandon Blackstock — their father and Clarkson’s ex-husband.

It was a surprise that the “Since U Been Gone” singer agreed to return for Season 29, and I don’t know if that makes it more or less likely that she’d return again for Season 30.

I’ve been a huge fan of The Voice since the beginning, and no one would be happier than me to see Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson come together for the competition’s milestone 30th season. But despite the rumors circulating, I will remain skeptical until we get something official from NBC or Shelton himself.

The Voice Season 29 premieres at 9 p.m. ET Monday, February 23, on NBC and streaming with a Peacock subscription.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals the winner of The Voice’s 28th season, which was announced December 16 on the live finale. The episode is available to stream with a Peacock subscription if you haven’t watched it yet.

That’s a wrap! The Voice Season 28 is in the books following a musical finale that occupied a three-hour block on the 2025 TV schedule before naming its latest champion. I can only imagine how nerve-wracking it was for the six finalists as they waited for the final seconds of the broadcast to hear Carson Daly announce the winner, and I’ve always wondered if the coaches get tipped off earlier in the day. Thanks to Michael Bublé, we now have that answer.

First things first, though. The Voice’s festive Holiday Spectacular kicked off with a preshow hosted by Ariana Madix and Dylan Efron that recapped Monday’s episode. That was followed by two hours of special performances from artists including XG, Zac Brown, Noah Cyrus, Neal Schon and Journey. At the end of it all, Carson Daly announced that America had voted Aiden Ross of Niall Horan’s team as the Season 28 champion.

The 20-year-old Texas resident was who I thought should win The Voice, based on his finale performances (and his entire season of work, honestly).

Aiden Ross’ victory means a third-straight win for Niall Horan, who remains undefeated on the show (he previously won Seasons 23 and 24 with Gina Miles and Huntley, respectively). Here’s where all six finalists finished:

• Winner: Aiden Ross (Team Niall)
• Second place: Ralph Edwards (Team Snoop)
• Third place: DEK of Hearts (Team Niall)
• Fourth place: Aubrey Nicole (Team Reba)
• Fifth place: Max Chambers (Team Bublé)
• Sixth place: Jazz McKenzie (Team Bublé)

Before the big announcement was made, Niall Horan suggested that none of the coaches were going to be surprised if they heard Aiden Ross' name called. He told his finalist:

So did Niall Horan and the others know at that moment who the winner was?

Michael Bublé Says The Voice Coaches Don’t Find Out The Winner In Advance

Michael Bublé gave us a peek behind the curtain by revealing when all of The Voice coaches learn the results of America’s vote, and it turns out they’re in the dark as much as the contestants and the audience. He said during Tuesday’s finale:

It’s pretty brutal that the results are kept secret from the coaches as well as the contestants, but it makes sense. You want their reactions to be genuine, and you definitely don’t want to run the risk of them spoiling anything too early.

The Voice may be finished for now, but the revamped Season 29 — with all-new rounds and plenty of surprises — is just around the corner, premiering on the 2026 TV schedule at 9 p.m. ET Monday, February 23, on NBC.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses the final performances of The Voice Season 28, which aired December 15 and can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice went live for the first time in Season 28, opening the finale on a somber note, as Carson Daly gathered Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé and Niall Horan to send their love after Rob Reiner’s death and several other recent tragedies. They invited viewers to come together through the power of music, and what followed certainly was a special night. The six finalists each performed two songs in hopes of earning votes to be crowned the winner Tuesday. So, based on these finale performances, who do I think should take the prize?

Before the competition kicked off, there was some business to attend to. Carson Daly announced the results of America’s wildcard vote, revealing that Max Chambers from Team Bublé and DEK of Hearts from Team Niall would be competing alongside the four artists previously announced by The Voice coaches.

Let’s take a look at how everyone performed on the live stage, and then I’ll share who I think should be crowned The Voice Season 28 champion. (Artists are listed in order of their first performance.)

DEK Of Hearts (Team Niall)

Mic Drop winners DEK of Hearts — aka Dylan John, Emily Clapp and Kollin Bailey — took the stage first with “Fishin’ in the Dark” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The harmonies are easily the trio’s strength, and coach Niall Horan pointed out how consistently perfect their voices are when they come together.

Ahead of their contemporary choice — “Let It Go” by James Bay — a live TV hiccup caused a noticeable delay in the start of the performance. The artists seemed to be waiting on their cue, and Carson Daly looked ready to step in, when he was literally shooed away as someone off-camera yelled, “We’re good, we’re good!” All of the coaches praised the trio for maintaining their composure and then delivering another lovely three-part harmony.

Max Chambers (Team Bublé)

With Max Chambers’ experience on Broadway, it’s no surprise that he handled live TV like a pro. His contemporary song — “Your Way’s Better” by Forrest Frank — was a great choice for the 14-year-old, in my opinion, and Michael Bublé commended him for being bold enough to be so open about his faith.

Michael Bublé was in tears for most of the evening, as it must have been sinking in that his time on The Voice is coming to an end (Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and John Legend have already been announced as the coaches for a revamped Season 29 coming to the 2026 TV schedule). Having the teenager tackle Whitney Houston’s “One Moment in Time” definitely didn’t make things less emotional. Bublé said we are all blessed to be witnessing the birth of a star.

Aubrey Nicole (Team Reba)

Reba McEntire brought a country music artist to the finale, and while that might not be a surprise, it’s pretty impressive that Aubrey Nicole was the only one-chair turn in the top 6. She started with a cover of Cody Johnson’s “‘Til You Can’t,” and it sounded to me like she was a tad nervous. She settled into it, though, and ended up hitting some big notes at the end.

For her classic song the artist paid homage to her coach with “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” That’s a pretty gutsy move — and not the finale song I’d expect — but she did it justice, adding some runs and a fair amount of sass. Reba McEntire was all smiles when it was over, saying Aubrey Nicole had “knocked it out of the park.”

Jazz McKenzie (Team Bublé)

Now, if you want to talk about a finale song, I present Jazz McKenzie’s “Against All Odds” by Phil Collins. It was hard to believe this performance came in the first half of the finale, because as the sparks fell from the rafters, I could have been fooled into thinking she’d just won the whole thing.

For her contemporary number, she put a spin on Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” making it less moody but more soulful. Snoop Dogg was straight-up sobbing at the end of it, and he thanked her for touching his heart. Michael Bublé, whose eyes rarely got the chance to dry during the two-hour show, said she’s about to become a star.

Aiden Ross (Team Niall)

Niall Horan was fighting an illness on Monday night, with Carson Daly saying they weren’t even sure he’d make it to the show. (They’ve already nixed his performances with his team members on Tuesday’s results show, as he’s on vocal rest.) But I don’t think his health was on his mind when Aiden Ross sang Jvke’s “Golden Hour.” Horan’s mouth was wide open, and he said he didn’t know if he should laugh or cry.

That didn’t change when the artist closed out the show with what he called a “cinematic” version of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All.” The performance was absolutely finale-worthy, and Niall Horan said you could feel the energy in the room.

Ralph Edwards (Team Snoop)

Ralph Edwards really brought it to The Voice Season 28 finale. We were reminded that the 30-year-old had tried to get on the show 11 times before but never made it to the Blind Auditions — until he turned all four chairs this season. He left it all on the stage with a cover of Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is.” Snoop Dogg was rendered speechless, simply writing in his notebook, “And the winner is …”

The rapper was fired up again following Ralph Edwards’ second song, “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars. Snoop Dogg called him the complete package, as he’d added choreography to an already-fantastic vocal performance. He praised the artist for his resilience and said he’s proof that you can never give up on your dream.

Who Do I Think Should Win The Voice Season 28? Aiden Ross

On The Voice Season 28 premiere back in September, Aiden Ross’ audition was the very first one aired, and when he turned all four coaches’ chairs, I literally wrote in my notes, “Honestly could be the winner.” I’m standing by that prediction following his two ridiculous performances, because while several other singers have wowed me this season, there hasn’t been one time that Ross has taken the stage that I haven’t repeated my initial impression of him.

I think we’ve witnessed a season of phenomenal talent, and I don’t think there’s an artist amongst these six who I’d be mad to see win. You can do your part though, with voting open until 7 a.m. ET Tuesday. There are two methods available — The Voice Official App and at NBC.com/VoiceVote, with one vote allowed per email address, per voting method.

Then tune in at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, December 16, on NBC for a night of special performances and ultimately, the Season 28 winner being crowned.

Blake Shelton may no longer be on The Voice, but that hasn’t stopped his fellow coaches from shading him on occasion. It’s been two years since Shelton’s final chair turn and, while a lot of the Voice coaches have come and gone over the years, his absence is certainly felt. He’s made some memorable friendly rivalries with Adam Levine and Kelly Clarkson, among others, and Clarkson is still keeping up with it. Anyone who needs evidence of that should know about the time Clarkson even shaded Shelton during an impromptu vow renewal.

During one of Clarkson’s shows for her Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, one fan handed her a piece of paper and asked her to officiate their vow renewal, which happened during the concert. In a video posted to TikTok by user themrkingalex, the American Idol winner pointed out that she hadn't officially been ordained as an officiant but that she would make sure to go online that night to make it official. She also hilariously said, “If Blake Shelton can do this, any fucking person can do this.” Check it out:

Shelton has officiated weddings more than once, having done it for best friend Trace Adkins in 2019 and his former manager, Narvel Blackstock, in 2024. So it’s pretty funny that Clarkson felt the need to bring that up, even despite the fact that The Voice’s Carson Daly officiated Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s wedding. However, it’s not surprising, since she wouldn’t want to pass up an opportunity to roast the country star.

Clarkson and Shelton had quite a memorable friendly rivalry on The Voice, and she brought that humorous competitiveness back when she returned to the series earlier this year. She trolled Shelton by sitting in his old chair and was as happy as ever. It’s fun to see that this rivalry/friendship continue to endure and doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

That being said, seeing Clarkson shading Shelton at her show makes me wish that Shelton would return to The Voice, even for just a season. Some thought Clarkson wouldn’t return, especially once The Kelly Clarkson Show moved to New York. However, she's going to be back for Season 29 on the 2026 TV schedule, which is certainly a plus. I’m just looking forward to seeing all the fun trolling continue, especially since she’ll be joined by John Legend and Adam Levine, the latter of whom also had a pretty iconic and fun rivalry with Shelton.

Arguably, the best part of The Voice is not seeing the aspiring singers and rooting for favorites, but it's the chemistry between the coaches and seeing how fun they truly have. The friendly competition is has been a welcome part of the show, and I hope that dynamics like the one between Shelton and Clarkson don't go away.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals the results of Snoop Dogg’s final Knockout, which aired November 24. Episodes can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

The Knockouts have concluded on The Voice’s 28th season with 16 artists headed to the Playoffs. This used to be the point in the competition when America got to start voting, and while Live Playoffs are unfortunately no longer a thing, this season did introduce a new twist that puts some control back in our hands — the Mic Drop.

Voting is now open to send one contestant to the Rose Parade, so let’s take a look at our four options and what they’ve accomplished so far.

What Is The Voice Mic Drop?

The Voice may be revamping the entire operation for Season 29’s “Battle of Champions” for the 2026 TV schedule, but Carson Daly has really kept us on our toes this season as well. First he introduced the Carson Callback, which allowed one artist to re-do his audition after not getting chosen, then in the Battles the artists got to pick their own partners, and now we have the Mic Drop.

Here’s how it worked: Each coach chose one standout Knockout winner as their Mic Drop, and now those four artists will be voted on by America, with the winner performing at the New Year’s Day Rose Parade. Let’s take a look at who we have to choose from:

Max Chambers (Team Bublé)

It’s not hard after watching Max Chambers’ Knockout performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing” why so many fans are predicting he could win the whole thing. Michael Bublé knew he had something special on his hands when he chose the 14-year-old for his team. Chambers auditioned with “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 before revealing to The Voice coaches that he actually portrayed “Little Michael” on Broadway in MJ The Musical in 2023.

The Mic Drop vote has no bearing on who wins The Voice Season 28, but if Max Chambers does bring it all home, he’ll be the youngest champion in Voice history, beating out Brynn Cartelli of Team Kelly Clarkson, who was 15 when she won in 2018.

• Coach Quote: At 14 years old he exhibits a mastery well beyond his years.

DEK of Hearts (Team Niall)

There’s been some debate amongst The Voice fans over the years about whether or not it’s fair to include duos and trios in the competition. Personally, I think the harmonies they provide support the premise of the show, and I really enjoy seeing them. The coaches obviously have no qualms, as DEK of Hearts earned a Four-Chair Turn with their Blind Audition of “Heads Carolina, Tails California” by Jo Dee Messina.

The trio — made up of Kollin Bailey, Emily Clapp and Dylan John — went on to win their Battle with a cover of “I Will Wait” by Mumford & Sons and then brought it home with Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You” in the Knockouts, which you can see above. If DEK of Hearts wins The Voice Season 28, they will be just the second trio to win the show after Girl Named Tom in Season 21.

• Coach Quote: The wall of sound they create when they sing together in three-part harmony is unlike anything in music right now.

Aaron Nichols (Team Reba)

Reba McEntire makes it a point to assemble a team full of artists from all different genres of music, but Aaron Nichols is country through and through. His Knockout performance of “Hurricane” by The Band of Heathens made this Louisiana girl beaucoup homesick, and I am obsessed now with his bluesy twang.

Chris Stapleton’s “Cold” was the perfect audition song for him, and he continued to impress the queen of country when he dueted on “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvin Bishop in the Battle Round.

• Coach Quote: He’s a show dog, and he would do a great job at the Rose Parade.

Yoshihanaa (Team Snoop)

Last but not least we have Yoshihanaa, who was the final Mic Drop artist picked in the Knockout round. The Florida singer won her Knockout with a gorgeous rendition of the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Snoop Dogg said he had no choice but to drop the mic on her behalf, because she did everything but that on the stage.

Prior to the final night of Knockouts, Yoshihanaa initially caught the attention of the D-O-double G with her Blind Audition cover of “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” by Deborah Cox, then won a powerful Battle singing “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” She made it to Snoop Dogg’s final four, but will she make it to the Rose Parade?

• Coach Quote: She was in full control. She showed America what she is and who she is.

How To Vote For The Mic Drop

Voting is open now to send one of the four artists above to the Rose Parade to perform live in front of millions of people on January 1, 2026, ahead of the historic Rose Bowl. Fans can vote on The Voice Official App and at NBC.com/VoiceVote, with one vote allowed per email address, per voting method. Voting will remain open until 7 a.m. ET Friday, November 28.

It’s unclear when the Mic Drop winner will be announced, because next week’s Playoffs were pre-recorded.

It’s also important to remember that this is not the vote to choose The Voice Season 28 winner, and the results of this vote don’t count for or against the artists in the competition. All four of these singers will continue in the Playoffs next week, regardless of how the Mic Drop vote goes.

It will be interesting to see if the winner of the Mic Drop is the eventual winner of The Voice overall, or if fans are leaning toward a different singer to take home the trophy. Tune in as Season 28 continues on the 2025 TV schedule at 9 p.m. ET next Monday, December 1, on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals some results from The Voice’s November 17 episode, which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription if you haven’t seen it.

The Voice Season 28 is rolling right along, with the coaches coming close to finding the four artists they’ll carry with them into the Playoffs. In fact, Michael Bublé’s team completed its time in the Knockouts on November 17, and one artist in particular really embraced the moment. Jazz McKenzie was declared the frontrunner of the competition by her coach, but it wasn’t just him. See the performance that had Snoop Dogg rapping and made Niall Horan feel sick.

The season of The Voice currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule has seen some unbelievable talent, and I’ll be the first to admit that I change my tune every week about who’s going to win Season 28. A couple of weeks ago, viewers basically agreed it would be Team Niall’s Aiden Ross, and before that I was super bummed that Niall Horan sent Camille Tredoux home on a song outside of her wheelhouse. Honestly, there are others I like, but this night was all about Jazz McKenzie’s cover of Smokey Robinson's “Cruisin’”:

It’s not hard to see why Jazz McKenzie was a Four-Chair Turn in the Blind Auditions, is it? The Voice coaches didn’t forget that fact, either, and it doesn’t sound like their passion for her has diminished during her time on Team Bublé. Snoop Dogg drew laughs when he couldn’t help but start rapping during his critique, saying:

Snoop rarely reveals who he would choose as the winner of any battle outside of his own team, so the fact that he told his fellow coach to pick the 31-year-old from Alabama is something in and of itself.

Niall Horan weighed in with high praise of his own, and if not for that sweet, Irish accent, it might have sounded like he was mad when he said:

Reba McEntire agreed the artist is “unbelievable” and said she’s been in awe of her talent from the beginning. As for her coach, Michael Bublé simply told Jazz McKenzie that “God’s light radiates through you.”

After making it official and sending her through to the Playoffs, Michael Bublé said in an interview:

I agree, she’s definitely up there! Next Monday we’ll see the final three Knockouts, including who Snoop Dogg chooses for his Mic Drop, but will we have yet another new favorite? Tune in at 9 p.m. ET November 24 on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

In the early seasons of The Voice, the bromance that formed between OG coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton became one of the most entertaining reasons to tune in. While the two continue to playfully bash each other to this day, things really haven’t been the same since the Maroon 5 singer left the show in 2019. Now that Levine is back in the mix, though, it seems he’s bonded with someone new — Michael Bublé — and I’m a fan of this friendship.

Adam Levine returned to The Voice in Season 27, where he joined coaches Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend and Michael Bublé. Despite that season coming to an end (with Bublé taking the W), the group chat must still be intact, because the “Haven’t Met You Yet” singer posted a video to Instagram from the Maroon 5 concert he attended earlier this month, where he had nothing but glowing words for Levine. He wrote:

That’s actually a really sweet message to his fellow coach of The Voice, but that’s not the only time the two have met up outside the office. Earlier this year, Adam Levine revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that he and Michael Bublé had actually taken a trip together. When Fallon mentioned the Canadian, Levine immediately said, “Love him,” before jumping into a story about playing padel with their wives. He revealed:

It’s a special thing when you meet someone at work who’s cool enough to hang out with when you’re not even being paid to do it. The Voice's host, Carson Daly, has found that with Jenna Bush Hager and the others on The Today Show, and well, we all see how that worked out for former (and married)Voice coaches Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani.

I’d like to think it doesn’t hurt that Adam Levine and Michael Bublé also have kids the same ages and wives who are models. They may also have a shared disdain for Blake Shelton, as Bublé shared on The Voice that fans always give the cowboy credit for writing “Home” — a song that Bublé wrote and Shelton covered.

As fun as I think it is that these two singers found each other, only time will tell if we’ll actually get to see them on The Voice together again. Michael Bublé is coaching Season 28, which is currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule, while Adam Levine is set to return for a revamped Season 29 alongside John Legend and Kelly Clarkson.

We’ll have to see what happens in Season 30 and beyond but, for now, tune in to see if the undefeated Canadian coach can beat out his unbeaten Irish counterpart, as Michael Bublé and Niall Horan battle to stay perfect against Reba McEntire and Snoop Dogg. The Voice Season 28 continues at 9 p.m. ET Monday, November 10, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

One easy way to avoid the crippling heat outside is to keep track of all the new Netflix shows, upcoming horror series, returning network dramas, new DC projects and more, and then just watch it all inside somewhere air-conditioned and comfortable. (Not official medical advice.) July 2026 is bringing a lot of new and returning shows that make staying inside sound downright brilliant.

Sci-fi fan? New seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Silo and the Big Bang Theory spinoff Stuart Fails to Save the Universe have you covered. True crime? Check out Murder 101. Love animation? X-Men '97 Season 2, King of the Hill Season 15 and the Ghost in the Shell anime debut this month. And get ready to laugh at Will Ferrell's The Hawk and Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham in Ride or Die. Keep reading for more, or click a specific month to jump right to it.

NOTE: New series premieres are listed in ALL CAPS, and all times listed below are in ET/EST.

July 2026 TV Premieres

At long last, Paramount+ revealed that fans can look forward to the fourth genre-mashing season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in July, which also comes peppered with returns from Apple TV's sci-fi fave Silo, the long-running reality series Project Runway, and the final story-concluding feature from Netflix's Heartstopper.

August 2026 TV Premieres

August is a huge months for streaming. Ted Lasso is making its long-awaited Season 4 return on Apple TV, and we also have the DCU mystery drama Lanterns, Outer Banks' final season, Lioness' third season, Reacher Season 4, and the Ricky Gervais animated series Alley Cats, to name but a few.

September 2026 TV Premieres

September is always a huge time for NFL fans, but boxing fanatics are also waiting for this year's Mayweather vs. Pacquiao bout on Netflix. This month also marks the return of Shemar Moore's Hondo in S.W.A.T. Exiles, premiering on Starz, and Maria Sten's Reacher character Neagley for her self-titled spinoff.

October 2026 TV Premieres

Amidst all of the broadcast network legacy dramas returning in October, arguably the biggest standalone series premiering is the MCU's VIsionQuest, with Paul Bettany reprising his Avengers hero, or something of that nature, for a story that's also bringing James Spader's Ultron back into the mix.

November 2026 TV Premieres

The November 2026 project i'm most interested in at the moment, outside of NBC's hilarious Monday night comedies, is the debut of Netflix adult animated series Bass x Machina, an action-filled western steampunk starring Brian Tyree Henry and Cree Summer. 'Nuff said, really.

December 2026 TV Premieres

2026 Shows Without Premiere Dates

Quite a few upcoming TV shows are presumed to be starting up in 2026, but without official premiere dates set in stone. Here's a round-up of some of the biggest projects that we can probably expect to see at some point later this year.

• 3 Body Problem Season 2 - Netflix
• BLADE RUNNER 2099 - Prime Video
• CAMP ROCK 3 [TV Movie] - Disney Channel
• CARRIE - Prime Video
• COVEN ACADEMY - Disney Channel
• DESCENDANTS: WICKED WONDERLAND [TV Movie] Disney Channel
• The Diplomat Season 4 - Netflix
• The Hunting Wives Season 2 - Netflix
• MONSTER: THE LIZZIE BORDEN STORY - Netflix
• Nobody Wants This Season 3 - Netflix
• Saturday Night Live Season 52 - NBC
• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 4 - AMC
• The Witcher Season 5 (Final Season) - Netflix
• Yellowjackets Season 4 (Final Season) - Paramount+

Remember to check back for more dates as they're revealed by networks and streaming services in the coming months.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses The Voice Knockout performances from November 3. Season 28 episodes can be streamed with a Peacock subscription if you need to catch up.

The 2025 TV schedule may have given us just one hour of Knockouts from The Voice this week, but it was a matter of quality over quantity. Three powerhouse duels took place on November 3, and forget the fact that we’re only halfway through the competition — fans think they already know who will be crowned the winner of Season 28.

The singers this season are goooood, so regardless of who takes home the prize, it won’t be an easy path to the top. That said, I just can’t argue that Niall Horan may just remain undefeated by earning his third victory on The Voice with Aiden Ross.

From his Blind Audition, where he got a Four-Chair Turn singing Adele’s "Love in the Dark" to his Battle with Team Niall teammate Ava Nat that sent me shamelessly stalking their social media to hear more of their gorgeous harmonies, to Aiden Ross’ Knockout Billie Eilish cover, the 20-year-old from College Station, Texas, hasn’t had an inkling of a slip-up. “When the Party’s Over” is not an easy song to sing, but Ross pulled it off perfectly. Fans on X were ready to call the competition, as infinityxlover posted:

Others echoed that sentiment, writing:

• Good grief, Aiden. I just sat here like rock listening to you. I may not have breathed. That was a glorious performance. You couldn't have done better 👍– usedscates
• I’ve watched Aiden Ross’ audition & battle performances wayyy too many times. He needs to release more of his own music. I genuinely think he’s winning it all. – xwanjau
• Aiden WOW! – super_star_96
• Aiden just doesn’t miss man. – briizyf_

See what all the fuss was about below:

As you can see from the video, The Voice coaches couldn’t even hide how impressed they were by Aiden Ross’ performance. Snoop Dogg — who’s known to get emotional about his Voice family — had high praise, telling the artist:

Michael Bublé, meanwhile, was practically brought to violence as he saw his chances of a three-peat slipping away. He told told Aiden Ross and his Knockout opponent Liam von Elbe:

I’ve definitely had trouble choosing my favorite singers this season, but Aiden Ross has always been one of my frontrunners, along with 14-year-old Max Chambers, who made his own convincing case to become the Season 28 winner with his rendition of “Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing.”

It’s been one hell of a season so far, and we’re only halfway through it. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the Knockouts hold, and then how strong the competition will be in the Playoffs and beyond. Tune in at 9 p.m. ET Mondays on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

We’re only halfway through The Voice Season 28, and already it’s been such an emotional rollercoaster. From a surprise marriage proposal to Reba McEntire breaking down over the death of her stepson Brandon Blackstock, these superstars have bonded through the highs and lows. It turns out Snoop Dogg has been a big part of fostering that family atmosphere, and I love that he initiated a pre-show ritual for all of The Voice coaches.

The Knockout round is underway on the 2025 TV schedule, and it’s pretty obvious how important the familial side of The Voice is to the rapper. He regularly refers to his team as his “family,” and calls individual members “niece” and “nephew.” Snoop Dogg told NBC that relationship-building is the most important part of the experience, saying:

I’m sure that fact was never in doubt. The chemistry amongst the coaches — which started to develop back in Season 26, when Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire and Michael Bublé first worked together — definitely comes across as genuine on the screen. That may be due, in part, to the pre-show ritual they have, as McEntire told People:

I think that’s such a sweet tradition to have, and I can see how it would help to strengthen the bond they have with each other.

Michael Bublé also hasn’t been shy about singing Snoop Dogg’s praises. He called the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” artist a “sweetie pie” and recalled how Snoop bonded with his daughter after learning that their kindergarten class listened to his affirmations. While the Canadian crooner agrees the D-O-double G makes The Voice a fun place to work, Bublé is also touched by how important the artists are to him. He said on Sunday TODAY:

We’ve seen Blake Shelton give opportunities to his former team members, Michael Bublé producing his champion’s upcoming album and Kelsea Ballerini handing out her phone number to contestants, and now there’s Snoop Dogg, who has put at least some of his Season 26 contestants on his payroll.

It’s clear that having the West Coast rapper on the NBC singing competition has been a delight for his fellow coaches, and fans seem to love him just as much. It would be nice to see him pull out a win this season, but it kind of feels like joining Team Snoop is already a pretty big W for the artists.

Tune in to see how Season 28 plays out, with Knockouts resuming at 9 p.m. ET Monday, November 3, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses the October 27 episode of The Voice, which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

Emotions ran high on the most recent episode of The Voice Season 28 to hit the 2025 TV schedule, with the Battle round wrapping up in the first hour and the remaining artists kicking off Knockouts in the second. There was a lot of excitement in the air, to be sure, but the evening took a more solturn when one contestant’s performance brought Reba McEntire to tears over the recent loss of her stepson Brandon Blackstock to cancer.

Team Reba member Aubrey Nicole chose to sing Martina McBride’s “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” in honor of her father, who is a cancer survivor, and her performance took a toll on The Voice coaches — particularly Reba McEntire. When it was the queen of country’s turn to give feedback to the 19-year-old artist, she got choked up and was unable to speak at first.

Snoop Dogg — who had said he wasn’t familiar with the song but was touched all the same due to losing multiple loved ones to cancer — brought Reba McEntire a pack of tissues, after which she told Aubrey Nicole:

Brandon Blackstock was Reba McEntire’s stepson, as she married his father Narvel when Brandon was a teenager. She didn’t mention Kelly Clarkson’s ex-husband by name, but she also referred to Blackstock as her “oldest son” when she paid tribute to him following his death.

After a long, private battle with cancer, Brandon Blackstock died August 7 at age 48. Both Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson — who is filming The Voice Season 29 concurrently with this one — reportedly missed some taping days, though that hasn’t been obvious from what we’ve seen on Season 28.

Carson Daly said everyone on The Voice knew Brandon Blackstock, and both of the beloved coaches had the full support of the show during this difficult time.

It was really no surprise after the emotions that Aubrey Nicole was able to convey through her song that she was the winner of her Knockout, advancing to the Season 28 Playoffs. You can see the performance for yourself below:

All of the coaches were in tears afterward, and Reba McEntire acknowledged how the mood had shifted, saying:

It’s really heartbreaking that so many of us can relate to having a loved one battle cancer. As sad as it was to see Reba McEntire overcome with the loss of her son, it was also beautiful to see so many people brought together by the music.

Tune in for the next night of Knockouts, as The Voice continues at 9 p.m. ET next Monday, November 3, on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

It always fascinates me to hear when the coaches of The Voice keep in touch with the artists post-show, whether it’s Blake Shelton booking team members at Ole Red, Michael Bublé helping his Season 26 winner produce his album or Kelsea Ballerini handing out her phone number to eliminated contestants. Considering how close they become, I’ve always wondered how much time the singers actually get to spend with Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg and the other mentors. Thanks to an EP, now I know.

The Voice Season 28 changed up the Battles rules, as the artists picked their own duet partner instead of the coaches making that choice. This created some amazing and unexpected duos but also an added challenge for Niall Horan (who declared the Battles his “least favorite” part of the show) and the rest. So how much time did they have to work out each arrangement? Executive producer Audrey Morrissey told SheKnows:

If the coaches are meeting with every member of their team over four days, that probably means they’re getting a good few hours of face-to-face time. Then the contestants apparently have access to their coaches’ phone numbers or email addresses for further direction. Morrissey continued:

It sounds like the amount of communication that happens between the superstars and their proteges is dictated by the coach, but Ariana Grande — who admits she got too attached to her team — suggested in Season 21 that there may be a limit to such interaction. The Wicked star claimed she had “broken every rule in my contract” by talking to her artists “all the time” and was told (presumably by producers) that she wasn’t supposed to do that.

The EP didn’t mention any limit but did say the degree of coach involvement varied, with some loving to get involved with the whole production and others preferring to focus on the music.

But even those artists aren’t left high and dry. Snoop Dogg shouted out all of the people we don’t get to see helping the artists’ journeys, including hair and makeup, wardrobe, vocal coaches and, of course, the band. The “Gin and Juice” rapper told Access Hollywood last month (via E! News):

After 28 seasons, it seems like The Voice is probably a well-oiled machine that does make the job of the coaches pretty easy, but it sounds like it takes a lot of people to make that happen. I’m just glad to hear the coaches are actually involved with their team members and not just popping in on performance day.

I love to see the relationships develop, and I can’t wait to see what twists and turns await the next round of competition. Tune in at 8 p.m. ET Monday, October 27, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription, as the Battle round ends and the teams kick off Knockouts.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals a couple of the results from The Voice Season 28 Battles that aired Monday, October 20. You can stream episodes with a Peacock subscription if you’re not caught up.

The superstar coaches of The Voice Season 28 are nearing the end of the Battles with Knockouts on the horizon. After all of the fun that Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire and Michael Bublé had building their teams, they’ve reached the episodes on the 2025 TV schedule in which they have to start making cuts. The Battles are particularly brutal, and the former One Direction member explained exactly why this is his “least favorite” part.

Niall Horan had a pretty impossible decision to make when Aiden Ross and Ava Nat chose to go up against each other on Night 3 of the Battles. Just like I think the Season 28 twist of letting the artists pick their own battle partners resulted in the possible frontrunner going home last week, I was so afraid of losing either one of these singers. As good as their voices sounded individually, they blended even more beautifully together (to the degree where Reba McEntire suggested they become an official duo). Don’t believe me? Take a listen:

Having to choose a winner was almost too much for Niall Horan to bear, and he took a moment to rant to host Carson Daly about what makes the Battle round particularly difficult, saying:

That actually makes a lot of sense, because while coaches like Adam Levine have said the Knockouts are worse, by that point the contestants have gotten a couple of different coaching sessions and likely have something substantial to take away from what essentially a music boot camp.

In the Battles, however, they’ve only gotten to work together one time before the coaches have to cut their teams in half.

Luckily for Niall Horan, he still had his Save, so despite picking Aiden Ross as the winner, he was able to retain Ava Nat.

Snoop Dogg wasn’t so lucky when Emmanuel Rey and Mindy Miller went up against each other. He delayed his decision as long as he could before chastising his fellow coaches and trying to get Carson Daly to do his dirty work for him. He said:

While Carson Daly contended that those symptoms might have been caused by something else — aka Snoop’s “greenroom” — it was clear the D-O-double G didn’t want to lose someone he already considered family. In the end, however, he chose Mindy Miller. Did he make the right choice?

There is something that has always seemed cruel about forcing teammates to go up against each other in a “2 artists enter, 1 artist leaves” situation, especially so early in the competition, but that’s the game we play.

That game will continue next Monday, October 27, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and after a season that’s already brought us the Carson Callback and this pick-your-partner Battles twist, it looks like The Voice has another new rule up its sleeve for the Knockouts. Stay tuned!

Blake Shelton’s new singing competition, The Road, is set to make its premiere on the 2025 TV schedule on October 19, but his old buddies over on The Voice just can’t seem to quit this cowboy. Two years (and five seasons) after the country music star turned his Big Red Chair for the last time, Shelton is still getting trolled by his former colleagues — and, surprisingly, Niall Horan seems to have been the one to start it.

Of all The Voice coaches who have come and gone over the years, Blake Shelton has undoubtedly been the instigator of most of the drama, forming (friendly) rivalries with Adam Levine, Kelly Clarkson and even host Carson Daly. Niall Horan, however, was more of a son to Shelton, so it’s a bit surprising to hear the former One Direction member shading his pops in this Instagram video:

OK, who knew Niall Horan was such a good country singer? He and Blake Shelton really should collaborate on some music, because who taught him that warbling yodel that he did at the end there?

The ex-boy-bander tried his hand at Thomas Rhett’s new song “Old Tricks,” which just happens to feature Blake Shelton. Niall Horan couldn’t pass up the chance to take a shot at his buddy, as he said:

Admittedly, this is some mild shade being thrown but, considering Niall Horan confirmed on the current season of The Voice that he’d “always” be Blake Shelton’s son (after Michael Bublé tried to usurp the position of Horan’s father), I’m still a bit surprised.

It’s definitely more a page out of Carson Daly’s book and, sure enough, The Voice host chimed in in the comments about how Niall Horan’s version of “Old Tricks” compared to that of his Barmageddon co-host, writing:

They may have a funny way of showing it but, despite the barbs traded between Blake Shelton and Carson Daly, they became really close friends working together on The Voice for 12 years. Daly even officiated the cowboy’s wedding to Gwen Stefani — encouraging them to write their own vows, which led to Shelton penning their wedding song “We Can Reach the Stars.” (The song appears on the deluxe edition of his album, Body Language.)

Blake Shelton may not be sharing the screen with Niall Horan and/or Carson Daly anymore, but he hasn’t lost his passion for helping up-and-coming musical artists. His new show, The Road — which is executive produced by Taylor Sheridan — follows 12 budding country music artists around the country as they open for Keith Urban on tour.

The winner will receive $250,000 and a recording contract, but all of them will likely benefit from having Gretchen Wilson as their tour manager and Blake Shelton and Keith Urban there to impart their own wisdom. That’s not to mention the fans they make along the way while traveling the country.

Tune in to see Blake Shelton’s return to singing competitions when The Road premieres after Tracker, around 9 p.m. ET Sunday, October 19, on CBS. Meanwhile, you can find Niall Horan and Carson Daly on NBC, with The Voice Season 28 airing at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and Tuesdays.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals some results from The Voice Battles that aired October 13 and 14. Season 28 episodes can be streamed with a Peacock subscription if you need to catch up.

The Voice may have announced that Season 29 is when they’re really revamping the game, but the season currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule has already been full of twists and turns. First we got the Carson Callback card in the Blind Auditions, and now they’ve changed the way Battle pairings are chosen. I actually love the new rule, but I’m afraid it may be to blame for one of the Season 28 frontrunners seeing an early exit.

Rather than having The Voice coaches choose which of their team members will face off in the Battles, this season — for the first time ever — the artists are choosing their own partners. It’s so interesting to see who the Season 28 contestants are pairing with, and already we’ve seen some duets that the mentors say they’d have never put together.

I Love The Unexpected Duets The New Twist Provides

Michael Bublé, for instance, never would have paired Four-Chair Turns Trinity Giselle and Jazz McKenzie together on Night 1, but he had no say in the matter when they partnered up. They killed their version of Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity,” and while McKenzie was named the winner, Giselle remained on Bublé’s team when he used his Save (despite all three of the other coaches trying to steal her).

Reba McEntire’s Aaron Nicholls vs. Daron Lameek was another duo that the country queen said she’d never have pictured, but their “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” was such a delightful blend of their respective genres.

The Twist Worked Against One Niall Horan Duo

Those are two examples of song choices that worked for both artists, but Niall Horan didn’t have the same luck on Night 2 with Camille Tredoux and Kayleigh Clark. Clark is a straight country singer, while coaches compared Tredoux’s voice to Joni Mitchell or Janis Joplin in the Blind Auditions, so when Kelsea Ballerini’s “Cowboys Cry Too” was picked for them, it definitely favored Clark’s style. Check out their battle below:

Both singers sounded amazing, to be honest, but that song was just clearly so much more in Kayleigh Clark’s wheelhouse. In past seasons, I just don’t see Camille Tredoux being eliminated so early, because there’s no way Niall Horan would have made these two frontrunners sing against each other. I also think a more neutral song would have allowed Tredoux to showcase her talents more to earn either a Save or a Steal.

I had Camille Tredoux highlighted for a long journey on The Voice, and I wasn’t the only one surprised by Tuesday’s results. Fans on X commented:

• That song was NOT fair for Camille. She deserves a save or steal. Give her a REAL chance! – danielfarish
• This was not the song for Camille. – houseofwarwick

On one hand I love how the Season 28 twist on the Battle round is giving us matchups based on artist chemistry that the coaches often wouldn’t have thought to attempt. I love that it keeps the coaches honest, too, because they can’t simply pit their favorites against their least favorites to curate the team they want.

Clearly, though, there is a downside to the new rule, and it became obvious anytime two powerhouses went up against each other. I wish both Kayleigh Clark and Camille Tredoux had been able to advance, and now I’m just hoping another twist will come along in the Knockouts to bring Tredoux back.

With everything we’ve seen so far this season, I feel anything is possible. Tune in for more Battles at 8 p.m. ET next Monday and Tuesday, October 20 and 21, on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

The news that Kelly Clarkson was coming back to The Voice for its upcoming revamped 29th season was quite exciting for fans like myself. However, tragedy struck her family soon after they started taping, when her ex-husband Brandon Blackstock passed away after a long battle with cancer, and she stepped away temporarily. An insider for the singing competition has spoken out about how Clarkson’s absence allegedly impacted production and the warning the crew was reportedly given upon her return.

Brandon Blackstock died August 7 at age 48, five years after Kelly Clarkson filed to end their marriage. Despite a contentious divorce, they remained connected through their two children, and Clarkson had the full support of The Voice to focus on her family in the days that followed his passing. According to an insider, per The Sun, this did affect their production schedule, as they alleged:

Previous reports had indicated the show might be looking for someone to step in as Kelly Clarkson’s replacement — former The Voice coaches Miley Cyrus or Kelsea Ballerini, for instance. Ballerini has filled in for Clarkson before, in Season 20, when the American Idol alum was sick, and in addition to coaching Season 27, she is also a Battle Advisor for Michael Bublé’s team on Season 28.

However, the insider seems to indicate production was delayed until Kelly Clarkson returned. When that happened, according to the source, the crew was allegedly given a strict warning, they said:

That’s completely understandable, because if Kelly Clarkson were just being reminded of her ex-husband’s death constantly, there’s no way she’d be able to focus on her job of helping to coach singers into the entertainment industry. Still, the source said, she was “flooded” with love from her colleagues, even as everyone reportedly remained “strictly professional.”

I’d imagine that if such a direction was given regarding Kelly Clarkson, the same would go for Reba McEntire. The queen of country is a coach on The Voice Season 28, which is currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule. She paid tribute to her late stepson following his death and also reportedly stepped away from the show, as the 28th and 29th seasons are filming concurrently.

We’ll have to see if Reba McEntire’s absence is addressed or noticeable, as Season 28 continues its Battle round. New episodes air at 8 p.m. ET each Monday and Tuesday on NBC and can be streamed the next day with a Peacock subscription.

It's been five seasons since Blake Shelton said goodbye to The Voice and, while I wouldn’t say Michael Bublé has taken his place, there are some striking similarities. There’s the way he stays in touch with his team members after the cameras start rolling, and you can’t deny Bublé’s winning ways. But the biggest way that the Canadian singer seems to be filling the cowboy’s shoes has to do with Niall Horan.

Blake Shelton and Niall Horan hit it off immediately on Shelton’s final season of The Voice, which just happened to be the former One Directioner’s first. The two took on more of a father-son relationship and, as Season 28 airs on the 2025 TV schedule, it seems now Michael Bublé is filling that role. On the first night of Blind Auditions, the coaches revealed just how close they were after 14-year-old Max Chambers auditioned:

• Bublé: You remind me of my son, Niall, when he was a young man.
• Horan: Oh yeah?
• Bublé: Yes. Just call me Daddy now. Call me Big Daddy.
• Horan: Hi Daddy!

The two continued the bit even after Max decided to join Big Daddy’s team (nope, I can’t do it), as they called each other “Dad” and “Son” and told each other, “I love you.”

Seriously, this is a page straight out of Blake Shelton’s Season 23 playbook, when the country music star said he knew Niall Horan was meant to be his son. The former boy-bander acknowledged as much on the current season, saying:

Snoop Dogg jumped in to defend his fellow coach on The Voice with his support of the new custody agreement, as he and Niall Horan joked:

• Snoop: We just gonna say you went through the adoption agency for a year.
• Horan: Yeah, I don’t want to live in Oklahoma anymore.
• Snoop: ‘I wanna go to Canada where I can go ice skating.’

There’s no way to know how Blake Shelton feels about the Michael Bublé takeover. However, it turns out the former coach — whose new singing competition show The Road debuts next Sunday, October 19 — may not have that much to worry about anyway. Niall Horan set the record straight by admitting:

Maybe it’s for the best if Niall Horan remains loyal to Blake Shelton. He and Michael Bublé are in a pretty tough battle this season, as the only two undefeated coaches to ever face off on The Voice, and I’d hate to see Season 28 end in a father/son estrangement.

Blind Auditions have wrapped on the current season so, when The Voice resumes, the teams will begin to narrow themselves down via head-to-head duets. Don’t miss the Battles, Night 1, coming at 8 p.m. ET Monday, October 13, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice Season 28 teams are set, with the Blind Auditions wrapping on Tuesday after Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé and Niall Horan all made their final chair turns to fill out their teams of 12. This season has highlighted the importance of choosing the right song for your audition, and I really hope future artists are paying attention, because Snoop just dropped some really good advice on the matter.

Back on the third night of auditions, 35-year-old J. Blake took the stage with a version of Teddy Swims’ “The Door.” Nerves may have gotten the best of him, as he had some pitch issues and none of The Voice coaches were inspired to turn their chairs. After hearing from Blake, Snoop Dogg offered some advice that really could apply to anyone hoping to get on the NBC singing competition. He said:

Snoop Dogg offered these words of wisdom to J. Blake after hearing that he grew up singing in the church, but the idea behind the rapper’s message should strike a chord with artists of any background and of any genre.

With any singing competition, auditioners should pick songs that allow them to deliver an emotional message, because judges or coaches are going to remember how they feel more than what they hear. This is especially true on The Voice, since the mentors have their backs turned and can’t see the performances.

Check out J. Blake’s audition below, as well as Snoop Dogg dropping in his two cents:

The importance of song choice was spotlighted this season with the addition of the Carson Callback, which allowed the host to invite one rejected singer back to try again with a different song.

Ryan Mitchell was the lucky recipient of the Season 28 twist after getting no turns for his version of Cage the Elephant’s “Cigarette Daydreams.” However, when he returned with a cover of Britney Spears’ “... Baby One More Time,” he landed on Reba McEntire’s team.

While the new song choice didn’t apply to Snoop Dogg’s specific advice to lean into spirituality, the Britney Spears hit did allow Ryan Mitchell to convey more emotion — almost desperation — that the country queen connected with.

Each artist has to find the song that allows them to connect with its story in that way, and I think Snoop Dogg found a brilliant way to convey that to J. Blake and whoever else was out there listening.

Song choice goes back to the coaches for the next round of competition, as the Battles kick off when The Voice returns to the 2025 TV schedule. Tune in at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.

The Voice’s 28th season so far has been a season of firsts. It’s the first one giving host Carson Daly more power with the Carson Callback card, it’s the first to feature two undefeated coaches competing against each other, and now we’ve also witnessed the first time a coach broke a chair. Of course, it was Michael Bublé who caused the on-set issues, and of course, he had a great reaction.

Michael Bublé is going head-to-head with Niall Horan on The Voice’s current season airing on the 2025 TV schedule. Each has appeared on two previous seasons, winning them both to make them undefeated. That’s definitely been a talking point during the Blind Auditions, but now Bublé has a new record he can claim. Check out his hilarious Instagram post declaring himself the first to ever break his Big Red Chair:

It’s true — I’m not sure why anyone would underestimate Michael Bublé’s enthusiasm. We’re talking about the man Snoop Dogg calls “Michael Bub-LIE” for the stories he makes up to try to win favor with auditioning artists. The guy who literally put Niall Horan in the penalty box for being “too good-looking.”

The video shows the “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” singer hitting his button and then getting worked up when his chair doesn’t turn. Showing several crew members working to replace the chair, he laments:

Snoop Dogg teased Michael Bublé, saying he was “probably too aggressive” with the constant button-smashing, while Niall Horan modeled the correct way to do it by softly pressing his own button. Even Bublé joked with a member of the crew that he “got really excited” about some of the artists he was hearing.

I guess when you’re dealing with a large, button-controlled rotating chair, mechanical issues are bound to pop up at some point, and I found it honestly fascinating to see the process of removing The Voice coach’s broken chair from its port, bringing in a replacement and adding his name to it, etc.

We may only be a few episodes into Season 28, but it’s been a pretty exciting one so far — despite the fact that I’m furious Carson Daly used his callback card too early. We’ve also witnessed a sweet marriage proposal, and this battle of the unbeatens is really fun to watch — especially how Niall Horan’s popularity is a big obstacle for his fellow mentor.

Will one of them be able to remain undefeated, or will Snoop Dogg or Reba McEntire spoil it for both? Will any more chairs be broken in the pure excitement of it all? Tune in at 8 p.m. ET on Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC and stream the next day with a Peacock subscription.

Spoiler alert! This story reveals a couple of the results from The Voice episode that aired September 29. Stream the show with a Peacock subscription if you need to catch up.

There’s an interesting battle happening on The Voice in Season 28, which premiered this month on the 2025 TV schedule. Both Michael Bublé and Niall Horan are coaching their third season after winning both of their previous two appearances. There’s a lot of talk about which of them will remain undefeated — or if they’ll both lose to either Snoop Dogg or Reba McEntire — but Bublé got real on the latest episode about another disadvantage to competing against the former boy-bander.

It seems the Canadian crooner is struggling a bit with how popular Niall Horan is with the crowd. Michael Bublé got served a nice piece of “humble pie,” he said to Reba on the third night of Season 28’s Blind Auditions, when he heard an audience member shouting his name. He relayed the interaction to his fellow coach:

Wow, talk about being taken down a notch! The Voice coaches are often seen interacting with the audience, sometimes even going over to fans between auditions, so of course Michael Bublé would assume that someone yelling his name over and over would be a fan of his. I can’t believe someone actually asked him to fetch Niall Horan for her (though I’m sure she didn’t expect that story to be told on national television).

It’s not just the audience, either, it’s the artists! Twice on the September 29 episode, a singer went in with an idea of who they wanted as their coach and instead left as part of Team Niall. First, Revel Day said he wanted to learn from Michael Bublé, but upon hearing the “intentionality” in the One Direction star’s pitch, he changed course — despite getting a chair turn from Bublé.

The same thing happened to Reba McEntire later in the show. Twenty-year-old Kayleigh Clark turned all four chairs with her audition performance and jumped to Niall Horan’s team even after saying she wanted the queen of country. Michael Bublé lamented the luck of the Irish singer, saying:

Not that Michael Bublé is one to talk. He blamed the “Slow Hands” singer after he missed out on hitting his button for an artist, saying he got lost in Niall Horan’s eyes. Bublé was later able to beat his nemesis by literally putting him in a makeshift penalty box, saying:

It’s a pretty fun thing to watch, because Niall Horan can’t help it if he’s beautiful. I can see, however, how not being able to draw the audience’s and the artists’ attention away from him would pose a problem for the other coaches. We’ll just have to see if that translates into Horan’s third win.

Tune in for new episodes of The Voice at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Spoiler alert: This story contains some of the results from The Voice episode that aired September 29. You can stream this season with a Peacock subscription if you’re not caught up.

The Voice has been around for nearly 15 years, and it’s pretty typical for rules to be added and changed from season to season. For the current cycle airing in the 2025 TV schedule, the big twist involved Carson Daly, as he was given the Carson Callback card. The host took his newfound power out for a test drive in the Season 28 premiere, and now I’m furious that he was unable to help a different artist.

Justin Jenks knew his voice was going to be a surprise to The Voice coaches when he took the stage on the third night of Blind Auditions, but he definitely hoped for a different result. The 32-year-old put a unique spin on Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy,” but was unable to entice anyone to turn their chair. Michael Bublé and Niall Horan hung their heads in frustration when they saw Jenks, saying they thought they were listening to a duet. Bublé said:

Reba McEntire echoed those thoughts, as she and Snoop Dogg admitted they thought Justin Jenks was a woman (Snoop even made the artist sing to prove he’d been the one uttering those high-pitched notes.) McEntire said:

This is quite upsetting, because this scenario is EXACTLY what the Carson Callback is for — to keep deserving artists from slipping through the cracks. The card was introduced on the first night of Blind Auditions, when the host got mad that nobody turned for Ryan Mitchell. The artist was invited to come back the following night to audition again with a different song, and he made it onto Reba McEntire’s team.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m super happy for Ryan Mitchell and hope he does well with the country queen. I’m just frustrated that Carson Daly has already used the only chance for anyone to save an artist for this whole round of competition.

What happened to the Coach Replay? I know I was on the fence about that rule when it was first introduced, but Justin Jenks is the proof I needed to see just how valuable it is. Now, instead of each coach getting to save one person they didn’t push their button for, only Carson Daly has that power to save one person. And he already did it in the season premiere.

Check out Jenks’ audition below and see if you agree he belongs on a team:

I’ll just have to hope that we see Justin Jenks again, and theoretically we might not have to wait too long. The Voice’s revamped Season 29 filmed its pre-taped rounds simultaneously with the Season 28 episodes we’re watching now, so maybe he just stuck around? Only time will tell.

Until then, I hope no more mistakes are made on the coaches’ parts, because there’s no Carson Callback to help them now. The Voice airs at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC and can be streamed the next day on Peacock.

Minor spoilers ahead for The Voice Season 28 episode that aired September 23. You can stream the second night of auditions with a Peacock subscription if you missed it.

There have been a lot of unexpected moments on The Voice stage over the course of 28 seasons, but never have we witnessed a Blind Audition quite like Jacob Ryan Gustafson’s. The artist took advantage of his moment on national television to ask his girlfriend to marry him, and I can’t get over The Voice coaches’ reactions — particularly Michael Bublé’s sweet words.

Season 28 of NBC’s singing competition kicked off this week on the 2025 TV schedule, and already there have been some great moments, like Niall Horan facing his self-proclaimed biggest fan and Carson Daly introducing the new Carson Callback. Jacob Ryan Gustafson, however, provided arguably the biggest shock of the season so far after taking the stage to sing Morgan Wallen’s “Spin You Around.”

The 35-year-old California firefighter didn’t turn any chairs, but he said he had no regrets and asked if he could bring his girlfriend Jennifer out on stage. Calling her the reason he was there, Gustafson said:

Jennifer burst into tears as the artist got down on one knee. She accepted the proposal as the coaches looked on with open mouths. Snoop Dogg practically stormed the stage, shouting:

Michael Bublé, Reba McEntire and Niall Horan followed the rapper to the stage to congratulate the couple as Snoop continued his joyous yelling, and my heart just melted when Bublé told the newly betrothed singer:

How sweet is that? Snoop Dogg loved the sentiment, too, agreeing, “That’s the win. That’s the win right there, brother,” and the “Just Haven’t Met You Yet” singer continued:

I’ve always appreciated Michael Bublé’s corny comedy on The Voice, but he’s also got quite a way with words. You can see the full audition below, including the surprise proposal and the coaches’ reactions:

This audition — despite not resulting in an artist being added to a team — was one of the highlights of Night 2. We also got to see Ryan Mitchell return to use his Carson Callback. This time around he sang a unique version of Britney Spears’ “...Baby One More Time,” which intrigued Reba McEntire enough to hit her button.

I’m still disappointed that the Carson Callback has come and gone so soon, and I’m holding out hope that they’ll let the host be more involved by giving him another callback card, now that we know how it works and all.

The Voice Season 28 is just getting started, so I’m sure there are plenty of more surprises to come. Tune in for more Blind Auditions at 8 p.m. ET next Monday, September 29, on NBC and streaming the next day on Peacock.