The new coaching panel for The Voice Season 26 has been unveiled, and fans were surprised to see that John Legend will not be returning. The “All of Me” singer explained his absence in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, expressing both regret and excitement for the upcoming season.
“We’ve always got so many things going on. I’ll be doing a lot of shows this summer and traveling overseas,” Legend shared. “I’ll be back… If only I were actually going to take a break!” Despite his hiatus, Legend, 45, is enthusiastic about the fresh faces joining the show.
Replacing him will be an exciting lineup featuring Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, and Michael Bublé. With Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay also stepping aside, this season promises a new dynamic. Legend believes the new coaches will breathe fresh energy into the long-running series.
“It’s exciting to incorporate some new people into The Voice family,” Legend said. “Having Snoop here as a coach, I think is going to be a lot of fun and reinvigorate the show a bit. Michael and Snoop will do really well, and I’m excited that Gwen and Reba will be back too because they’re both wonderful coaches.”
Recently, Legend brought his eldest children, Luna and Miles, to the set of The Voice, sharing a playful Instagram photo of them in his iconic red chair. “My favorite coaching advisors joined me for the first night of #TheVoiceLives!” he captioned.
“They loved it. They really had a blast,” he said of their visit. “Their favorite — not being biased, but maybe being biased — was Nathan [Chester] … I feel like my team did well with my favorite advisors.”
In addition to Luna, 8, and Miles, 5, Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, also share younger children Esti and Wren. Legend first joined The Voice as a coach in Season 16 and won with artist Maelyn Jarmon. He previously served as an advisor in Season 12.
—
Photo Credit: Jamie Lamor Thompson / Shutterstock.com