John Legend first laid eyes on his big red chair in 2019. The “All of Me” singer joined longtime coaches Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton for season 16 of The Voice. Legend coached folk singer Maelyn Jarmon to victory, taking home the championship in his debut season. Since season 16, the EGOT winner has only missed one season, sitting out the 23rd season before returning for the 24th. Understandably, viewers have grown fond of the silky-voiced crooner throughout his nine-season tenure. Now, that run is coming to an end — although Legend says it may not be a permanent one.
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Why Is John Legend Leaving ‘The Voice?’
On Monday (May 13), The Voice announced its season 26 coaching lineup on social media. Legend was conspicuously absent from the roster. And he wasn’t the only one — Reba McEntire is the lone season 25 returnee. Season 24 coach Gwen Stefani, along with newcomers Michael Buble and Snoop Dogg, will join the “Fancy” singer in the big red chairs this fall.
John Legend: “I’ll Be Back”
The majority of season 25’s coaching panel — Legend, Chance the Rapper, and country-pop duo Dan + Shay — will step away this fall. However, don’t expect the Oscar winner to indulge in any R&R.
“I’ll be doing a lot of shows this summer and traveling overseas this summer,” Legend, 45, told Entertainment Tonight. “I’ll be back… If only I were actually going to take a break!”
Snoop Dogg Is Excited for ‘The Voice’
Although Snoop and Buble are new to the big red chairs, neither is new to The Voice. The “Gin and Juice” rapper served as a mega mentor in Season 20. Meanwhile, the “Feeling Good” singer advised Shelton’s team all the way back in season 3.
Legend expressed his excitement at the new coaching lineup to Entertainment Tonight. “[H]aving [Snoop] as a coach, I think is going to be a lot of fun and reinvigorate the show a bit,” said the R&B star, 45. “We’ve been around for 25 seasons and part of how we continue to stay fresh is introducing new coaches to The Voice family, and I think 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.”
As for Snoop Dogg, the gangsta rap icon is excited to show off his versatility. ““This is a great opportunity for me to show that I really understand music and be a real coach and really give direction to some of these artists that could be today’s next big thing,” Snoop recently told Jimmy Fallon.
Featured image by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for City Year LA’s Spring Break
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