‘The Voice’: Wildest Coach Feuds and Behind-the-Scenes Drama
When the cameras roll on The Voice, it’s all about powerhouse vocals, emotional backstories, and a star-studded panel of coaches battling to build the best team. But behind the polished performances and friendly banter lies a whole other show filled with frenemies, divas, and shady moments. Here are some of the wildest coach feuds and behind-the-scenes drama on The Voice.
Adam Levine vs. Blake Shelton: Beloved ‘The Voice’ frenemy feud or real drama?
For years, The Voice thrived on the banter between OG coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. What started as friendly teasing quickly escalated into one of reality TV’s most entertaining rivalries.
Fans loved watching the Maroon 5 frontman and the country superstar throw shade, steal contestants, and poke fun at each other with biting one-liners. Their love-hate chemistry was electric, leaving other coaches to referee.
During later seasons, it was rumored, but not confirmed, that Levine grew frustrated with how much the show leaned into Shelton’s persona and popularity, particularly his romance with Gwen Stefani. In season 16, tensions came to a head after Levine allegedly clashed with producers after his team was eliminated early.
This occurred during the season’s Live Cross Battles. After this segment, Levine’s team was left with only four contestants. By the time The Voice announced its Top 8, his entire team was eliminated.
Not long after, Levine exited the show. This shocking announcment led to speculation the unconfirmed dynamic with Shelton dynamic played a bigger role than NBC let on and their friendly The Voice feud led to real drama between them.
However, in a 2019 Howard Stern Show interview, Levine explained that he left The Voice simply because he felt like he had been filming the show long enough and wanted to spend more time with his family.
“I was ready to not be doing it anymore, I think for a little bit,” he said. “I think that when it all kind of naturally happened, I was like, ‘Okay, it feels right.’”
“For better or worse, the moment in which I decided to walk away felt really good. It was the right time for me to go.”
Christina Aguilera claimed ‘The Voice’ wasn’t about music
Christina Aguilera was The Voice’s first female coach, and her time on the show wasn’t always smooth sailing. Multiple seasons featured whispers of unconfirmed behind-the-scenes friction between Aguilera and production.
She told Billboard that her time as a Voice coach wasn’t the greatest experience. “I was longing for freedom. I would just take everything off — the makeup, all of it — and would blast hip-hop, or Nirvana, or Slayer. Anything like that to get me out of that zone, that TV mode.”
There was a particular buzz about Aguilera’s dynamic with fellow coach Adam Levine. Though the two collaborated musically off-screen with the hit tune “Moves Like Jagger”, their on-camera chemistry appeared strained.
After season 10, Aguilera stepped away from the series for good, telling Billboard the show became “too much of a boys’ club” without elaborating further. She believed the work no longer aligned with her artistic vision.
“It became something that I didn’t feel was what I had signed up for in season 1,” Aguilera concluded. “You realize it’s not about music. It’s about making good TV moments and massaging a story.
Kelly Clarkson reveals shady moments
The Voice has seen its fair share of unscripted tension over the years, especially when it comes to coaches stealing contestants. While the “steal” twist is a major part of the format, it’s also led to some serious side-eyes and heated moments.
Kelly Clarkson, for example, didn’t hold back when Ariana Grande swooped in on a contestant she had been fighting hard for in season 21. The normally sweet-natured Clarkson let her competitive side show, joking, “I hope you feel good about yourself”—with just enough bite to raise eyebrows.
Clarkson later shared further details of her experience mentoring contestants as a Voice coach. She told Kylie Kelce on the Not Gonna Lie podcast of some shady moments, revealing some coaches who appeared on the series once turned their noses down on the reality TV competion genre.
“Most of the time, all the coaches are incredible. But sometimes it’s like, ‘Oh, OK, you’re treating them [contestants] less than,” she shared, without naming names. Clarkson explained. “This was me and Jennifer [Hudson], this is how we got our start.”
“Every artist gets their start in a different way. People that were really mean have been coaches; who hated talent shows and ended up being on The Voice,” she continued.
While The Voice is primarily a singing competition, conflict is a huge part of what keeps fans tuning in. Whether it was Adam Levine and Blake Shelton’s frenemy fire, Christina Aguilera’s diva moments, or surprise tension between the newer coaches, the drama is as much a part of the show’s DNA as the spinning chairs.
The Voice airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
