Television fans are buzzing after NBC announced the details of the 29th season of The Voice, including the return of one of the singing competition show’s most popular coaches, Kelly Clarkson. However, they’re changing up the format of the show a bit, and some fans aren’t too happy about it.
The series recently revealed that they were making adjustments to their format for season 29, bringing in three fan-favorite judges but removing one of them, creating a “battle of the champions.” While fans are thrilled to see that the “Since U Been Gone” singer will return to the show, there are also many who are disappointed that other familiar faces won’t be returning and that the series may not be the same as it was before. Read more about the changes to the popular show below.
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'The Voice' Reveals Kelly Clarkson Will Be Returning As A Coach And The Show Will Make Some Changes
Last week, NBC began promoting the next season of the super-popular singing competition series, The Voice, which allows singers from across the country to give 'blind' performances to star music coaches who will select them for their team and attempt to coach them as mentors in order to make it to the finale. In the past, there have been four coaches, with some figures returning for several seasons, while others have been on and off.
One of the most popular coaches has been Kelly Clarkson, who was on the show for a few years while also hosting her hit daytime talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. When she took a hiatus after 2023, fans of The Voice expressed that they missed her a lot on social media, and got what they were wishing for this week, when NBC announced she was returning for season 29! Aside from the pop vocalist, two other well-known judges who spent a good chunk of time on air, Adam Levine and John Legend, will be returning as well.
However, although there are typically four coaches, this time, the show is only sticking with three, meaning that other loved stars like Blake Shelton, Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg, or Reba McEntire will not be returning for the time being. Instead, the network is dubbing this season "the Battle of Champions," as it features three popular coaches whose singers won a season at least once.
Fans React To The Loss Of A 'Voice' Coach And Changes To The Show On Social Media
After the new season was announced with several promotional videos and social media clips, fans began weighing in with their opinions. Some were extra excited about being able to see Kelly again, especially after reports came out that she needed a break from her "grueling" television schedule. However, not everyone was thrilled with the loss of a coach and the lack of viral coaches.
One fan on Instagram wrote that they were feeling "huge happiness with the return of Kelly."
"But why only 3 coaches?" they added.
Others added that they were "confused" about the new setup, and some even wrote that it seemed "ridiculous."
Many commenters were listing specific coaches that they want back, from Snoop Dogg to Christina Aguilera, but one of the more notable names being listed frequently was Blake Shelton, who was an original coach on the show and dropped out after season 23.
"Please, please ask Blake to come back for one season," wrote an Instagram user. "That would be awesome!"
"@blakeshelton, give the people what they want," joked another.
While there's no certainty whether or not Blake or any other star coaches will return to the viral series, it will definitely be an interesting one, and we'll be curious to see what the show has to offer when the new season premieres next spring.
