‘The Voice’: Blake Shelton Doesn’t Plan on Helping Reba McEntire Transition Into a Judge
NBC’s The Voice Season 23 finale finishes on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, and this marks the last time fans will see Blake Shelton as a judge in the series. Reba McEntire is taking Shelton’s place, and she said that he doesn’t plan on helping her too much with the transition. Here’s what she shared.
Blake Shelton told Reba McEntire to ‘lose’ his number ahead of her coaching on ‘The Voice’ Season 24
Blake Shelton is a fan-favorite judge in The Voice Season 23, but fans are excited to see Reba McEntire take over. The country superstar guest judged during the show’s current season, and she’s now preparing to take on a more permanent role in the series. Unfortunately, she’ll have to do it without Shelton’s guidance. Shelton told McEntire to lose his number — and if she needs help, he told her to ask John Legend instead of him.
“You know what he told me?” McEntire said, according to NBC Insider. “Lose my number. It’s what he told me. He said, ‘Just lose it. Don’t call me, I’ll call you. I will watch and if you need help, ask John [Legend].'”
There’s nothing but love between McEntire and Shelton, though. Shelton called McEntire one of “the greatest country artists of all time,” and he clearly trusts her to take his place.
Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton have a long history
Blake Shelton and Reba McEntire know each other through country music, but they also worked together in TV in the past. The country stars co-hosted the ACM Awards for years, and Shelton played McEntire’s younger brother on her sitcom Malibu Country.
“It’s been a friendship from the very beginning,” McEntire told Access Hollywood. “We’re both from Oklahoma, like an hour apart from where we grew up. We’ve worked together, we’ve had fun together, and gone on vacations together. So, it’s just too much fun.”
McEntire was offered a position as a Voice coach before Shelton, but she denied the position, as she didn’t think she would be a good fit. Ultimately, she’s glad Shelton took over.
Who else is coaching ‘The Voice’ Season 24?
Aside from Blake Shelton, other coaches from the season plan to take a step back after The Voice Season 23. Niall Horan, Gwen Stefani, and John Legend will join Reba McEntire in coaching season 24.
Horan is the only coach from season 23 carrying on into coaching for season 24. Legend and Stefani have been coaches in the past, and they’re now stepping back up to the plate. In the past, Stefani stepped away from coaching to work on new music and spend time with her family.
As for Legend, his personal life also made him a very busy man. “My family’s growing, I have a new album out, I’m gonna do a little bit of touring, and so it’s probably better that I take a break,” Legend told Entertainment Tonight. Now, he’s ready to return as a coach. “We took a break last season because we had another show in our slot that the network tried — and I thought that was gonna happen this season, but it ended up that they wanted us back … but I’ll be back on The Voice, just not this coming season,” he added.
The Voice Season 23 finale ends on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
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