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Gwen Stefani misses Blake Shelton in The Voice Season 24. Shelton was a staple in the show since the first season, but he decided to walk away and allow his wife to have the spotlight. Additionally, fans get to see country icon Reba McEntire take Shelton’s place. And Stefani reflected on how she felt the transition from Shelton to McEntire was “scary” on the show.

‘The Voice’ Season 24 coach Gwen Stefani called it ‘scary’ when Reba McEntire replaced Blake Shelton

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton connected from The Voice years ago. But Shelton is missing from The Voice Season 24, leaving Stefani to coach without him. While speaking to Entertainment Tonight, she reflected on how she initially felt when country icon Reba McEntire would be taking Shelton’s coaching chair.

“That was like scary for me, ’cause like, Queen of Country,” Stefani said. “She deserves all the respect …. Like, how do you, like, fight against her?”

Stefani noted that she and the rest of the season 24 coaches — McEntire, Niall Horan, and John Legend — got to know each other over dinner before the show began. This helped calm her nerves, especially when it came to McEntire.

“We ended up going all out to dinner before [the season] to just kind of have that gel moment,” Stefani added. “It’s been amazing and an honor, obviously, to get to know her, and there’s still more to go. Like, I still get to know her more.”

McEntire knew she had big shoes to fill, too. “It’s a lot of pressure because nobody can replace Blake Shelton,” she told Newsweek. “He’s a huge personality and a wonderful person. So, I’m just getting in there trying to have fun and represent country music as best I can.”

'The Voice' Season 24 coaches Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan, Reba McEntire, John Legend standing together and smiling
‘The Voice’ Season 24 coaches | Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty Images
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Gwen Stefani shared how she felt about her husband leaving the show in November 2022

Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani are having a good time getting to know each other in The Voice Season 24. And it wasn’t easy for Stefani to step on stage as a coach without Blake Shelton. She told Entertainment Tonight in November 2022 that she’d have to “figure out” the “new Blake” after the show.

“I have to figure out who this new Blake is gonna be,” the No Doubt frontwoman said. “But, I’m just so proud of him. He’s brought so much joy, he’s so talented, and I know people just wait around to laugh and watch him on TV, so, I feel sorry for everybody because he’s gonna be gone. I just am so proud of him.”

While speaking with the other Voice coaches on Today, Stefani admits she misses Shelton while coaching. “It’s really different being on the show without him,” she said. “I miss him so bad on the show, you know what I mean? But, at the same time, it hasn’t been as hard as I thought it was gonna be.”

Whether Shelton returns to The Voice or not, one thing is for sure — Stefani always has her husband to go home to.

The Voice Season 24 airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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