Reba McEntire has a pretty daunting task in front of her as Blake Shelton’s replacement on The Voice. The longtime coach will not be sitting in the Big Red Chairs for the first time in 24 seasons, and the challenge of filling those cowboy boots is not lost on the country music legend — especially since the role is one she turned down when NBC first offered it to her in 2011. McEntire opened up about why she chose not to join the singing competition back in the beginning, and how her fellow coaches John Legend, Gwen Stefani and Niall Horan have helped her get past her trepidation.
Blake Shelton made himself an integral part of The Voice in its first 23 seasons, and it’s sure going to be weird not having him there when Season 24 premieres Monday, September 25. If Reba McEntire hadn’t had reservations in the beginning, the “Come Back as a Country Boy” singer’s legacy on the show would likely be drastically different. Before Shelton accepted a spot on the Season 1 coaches’ panel, NBC had offered it to Reba McEntire, and she recently opened up about what’s she’s learned from her fellow coaches to overcome the concerns that caused her to turn it down in the first place. She told Newsweek:
I can’t be a mean judge. I mean, when I turned it down 15 years ago, when they wanted me to do The Voice, I said, ‘I can’t tell anybody that they’re horrible. I can’t say to somebody, “Well is your mama gonna meet you at the bus station? Because you’re going home.” I can’t do that.’ So I learned from John, Gwen and Niall.
When The Voice premiered in 2011, it was going up against American Idol, where Simon Cowell was infamous for his brutal critiques of the contestants (even if that rudeness turned out to be fake). NBC chose to go in a different direction, emphasizing “coaches” instead of “judges,” but it’s understandable that Reba McEntire would still feel uneasy about having to let people down. She said her fellow Season 24 coaches have helped her in that regard, as she continued:
Every day that we’re working on The Voice, I’m learning more from them how to let ’em down easy if they don’t get picked up, coach ’em, and if you can give them any advice whatsoever. Like if none of the coaches turn around, they’re going home immediately. And so it’s good just to say, ‘If you want to come back again, try it again next season, maybe a song that suits you, one that you’re really comfortable with and that really shows your talent,’ give them advice and encourage them to come back.
I’m sure the singers who are auditioning appreciate the constructive feedback, and even though there will be plenty of shots fired amongst the coaches, it sounds like Gwen Stefani, Niall Horan and John Legend are helping Reba McEntire out along the way.
To that point, Niall Horan had similar issues when he joined The Voice in Season 23, saying back then that it was “so terrible” to tell artists they were going home. The One Directioner certainly understands how life-changing a TV singing competition can be.
I’m excited to see how Reba McEntire’s rookie season goes, and the wait is almost over. The Voice Season 24 will air at 8 p.m. ET Monday and Tuesday, September 25-26, on NBC. See what other premieres are coming soon with our 2023 TV schedule.