NBC has announced that country music star Reba McEntire is joining “The Voice” full-time in season 24.
During this season, which is the popular show’s 23rd, McEntire has been acting as a Mega Mentor. But next season she will take over Blake Shelton’s coaching chair.
McEntire spoke to People after the May 15 live show about driving “the country lane” among the coaches.
“I’m taking over for Blake so I’m gonna represent country music,” McEntire said. “[He’s got] big boots. I don’t know what size those boots are, but they’re big, so I’m gonna really work hard to make him proud.”
Shelton has been on the U.S. version of “The Voice” since it started in 2011. The show had two seasons a year until 2021, when it switched to just one. So Shelton has actually coached 23 seasons over 12 years of being part of the music competition.
In fact, he’s the only coach who has been on every single season to date. But the country singer said last October that it’s time for him to step aside. He wants to work on new projects and spend time with his family.
McEntire isn’t a newbie to the show, however, as she appeared as a Battle Advisor to Team Blake on the show’s first season. Watch her and Shelton reminisce about their “The Voice” memories.
As for other coaches on the show’s 24th season, McEntire said she’s ready to take them on.
“I do understand that I need to go razzle-dazzle with Gwen being on there,” she said of Gwen Stefani. “Gwen’s always got the nicest outfits, so I really need to step up my game on that.”
John Legend and Niall Horan are “really funny and clever, and always have so many smart things to say, so I’ve got my work cut out for me,” McEntire added.
We think McEntire, who is considered by many the most successful female country artist of her generation for songs like “Fancy” and “Rumor Has it,” will be able to hold her own.
“I’m most excited about basically getting started, and I’m sure that I’ll have lots of help, lots of advice, lots of people coming around saying, ‘You can do this. You can do that.’ And I’m not afraid at all. I think it’ll be a very fun adventure,” she said.
McEntire, 68, also confirmed on a 2020 episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” that she was asked to be a coach for “The Voice” in 2011, when the American version of the show was first being cast. She turned the role down because she didn’t think she could criticize contestants day in and day out. She also said that after seeing how successful the show has become, she did have some regrets over not taking the job.
Looks like she’s getting a second chance, 12 years later. We can’t wait!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
