‘The Voice’ Season 22 Rumors: Big Format Changes Could Be on the Way
The Voice Season 22 could be shaking things up in more ways than one. The singing competition will already look a bit different this year with the absence of longtime coach Kelly Clarkson and newcomer Ariana Grande. In addition to the coaching changes, though, recent spoilers and rumors have suggested The Voice Season 22 made format changes to accommodate larger teams. Here’s what could happen.
‘The Voice’ Season 22 has a brand new coach
Earlier this year, NBC revealed that former Fifth Harmony member and current solo artist Camila Cabello would take a seat on the coaching panel for the first time. She has previous experience with singing competitions, as Fifth Harmony made their debut on The X Factor USA in 2012. Cabello also served as an adviser to Team John Legend during The Voice Season 21.
Unfortunately, Cabello’s coaching spot does come with bad news for fans of Clarkson: She is not coaching this year. The country singer decided to take the summer off from work obligations, meaning she would not be available for The Voice Season 22 tapings. Still, many fans are excited to see what Cabello offers as a fresh face on the panel.
In addition to Clarkson and Cabello’s swap, The Voice has also replaced Grande, who coached for one season. Gwen Stefani, who has served off-and-on as a coach for many seasons, has once again taken a chair. Meanwhile, Blake Shelton and John Legend both returned to their coaching spots.
‘The Voice’ Season 22 rumors and spoilers suggest format changes
The Voice Season 22 tapings began earlier this summer, and so have rumors and spoilers for the Blind Auditions and beyond. It’s important to note that NBC has not officially confirmed the format or any changes to season 22. However, spoilers posted on Idol Forums — a fan site that has been reliable in the past — teased a shake-up.
According to the posts, the Blind Auditions resulted in 56 artists in total instead of 48, which has been the total in past seasons. If true, that means that instead of 12 team members per coach, there were 14 members. With more people competing in the Battle Rounds and Knockouts, some adjustments allegedly needed to be made.
The spoiler posts continue on to say that the Battle Rounds operated the same as always, with two artists per battle. One thing that NBC did confirm, though, is a change to the Knockouts. Now, the knockouts have three artists per Knockout, each performing one song to win a spot in the Top 16. This “raises the stakes more than ever before,” according to the press release. There is no Mega Mentor during the Knockouts this season.
The new season kicks off in September 2022
Fans will have to wait until The Voice Season 22 premieres to find out how this season will work. The show kicks off Blind Auditions on Monday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Then, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, auditions continue at the same time.
Stay tuned to Showbiz Cheat Sheet for more updates on The Voice Season 22.
