The Voice Is Bringing Back Gwen Stefani Plus Two New Coaches That May Address Some Fan Criticism

Blake Shelton may not be returning to The Voice, but when Season 26 hits the 2024 TV schedule this fall, the Shelton family will still be represented on the coaches’ panel. Gwen Stefani is returning to coach for an eighth season, where she’ll be joined by Reba McEntire in the Queen of Country’s third-straight season. John Legend, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay, however, will take a step back for the next cycle, as two new coaches join the fray, and the choices for new mentors may make some of the show’s critics happy.

Snoop Dogg And Michael Bublé To Join Gwen Stefani And Reba McEntire On The Voice Season 26

The faces in the Big Red Chairs are going to be quite a bit different when Carson Daly starts welcoming new singers to the stage on The Voice this fall. After replacing Blake Shelton in Season 24, Reba McEntire will remain on the panel, but she’ll be the only holdover from the current season. Gwen Stefani, meanwhile, is coming back — a somewhat surprising development, given that it seemed all but inevitable she’d step away from the show after her husband left.

Reba McEntire has yet to notch a win on The Voice — although her team is still alive and thriving heading into the Live Semifinals — while Gwen Stefani won in Season 19 with Carter Rubin. The No Doubt singer last appeared on the show in Season 24.

That brings us to our rookies, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé, who each have previously appeared on the singing competition as a mentor. Snoop Dogg had some standout moments as the Season 20 Mega Mentor — and even got Blake Shelton to “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Bublé, meanwhile, is coming back to The Voice for the first time since Season 3, when he served as Team Blake’s advisor in the Battles.

The D-O-double G in particular is an interesting pick for mentor, as he seems to be the first Voice coach not known for his singing — a pretty vital skill on a show whose concept prioritizes vocal ability over physical appearances and other qualities. Even Chance the Rapper proved how well he can sing early in Season 25, when he stole an artist from John Legend by singing one of Legend’s hits.

However, as the Mega Mentor, Snoop Dogg did help the artists tap into their storytelling abilities, so I’m definitely excited to see him lead a full team. Also, both he and Michael Bublé seem to address one of Season 25’s biggest criticisms.

There’s Only One Country Artist On The Voice Season 26 Coaching Panel

The Voice has long been a friendly place for aspiring country music singers, in large part because of Blake Shelton and his success with artists on the show. So while it wasn’t a surprise that another country legend — Reba McEntire — was brought in as his replacement, some fans bristled at the addition of Dan + Shay, which meant that half of the panel (or more than half, if we’re nitpicking, because they’re a duo) was represented by a single genre of music.

With the addition of Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg, Reba McEntire will have the country music genre all to herself, at least for Season 26.

The upcoming season of The Voice will definitely be one to watch, given the return of Gwen Stefani and the introduction of two new coaches, but first we’ve got to see who takes the Season 25 crown. Catch The Voice live at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC, or streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription.