As season 26 of “The Voice” kicks off on NBC, many fans have expressed confusion over the coach lineup, fully expecting to see returning coach Adam Levine in one of the iconic red chairs.
“I thought there were rumors of Adam Levine coming back on the voice,” one fan wrote on Facebook ahead of the premiere, echoing many other fans’ confusion.
While it’s true that the Maroon 5 frontman has begun filming a new season of “The Voice” after being away from the show for several years, he does not appear as a coach on the current season of the reality competition.
Early Announcement & Photos Confused Fans of ‘The Voice’ Over Adam Levine’s Return
The celebrity panel on the 26th season — premiering on September 23, 2024 — are returning coaches Reba McEntire, back for her third consecutive season, and Gwen Stefani, marking her eighth time on the show, along with newcomers Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé.
Levine, meanwhile, will return to the show for its 27th season in the spring of 2025. Fans’ confusion is likely due to the fact NBC announced Levine’s return before the 26th season had premiered, and he was photographed months ago.
In July, he shared an Instagram post after taping the first week of Blind Auditions for Season 26 alongside returning coaches John Legend, Bublé, and country star Kelsea Ballerini, who served as the Season 15 “Comeback Stage” coach but has never been one of the primary coaches on the show before.
When the next season begins airing in early 2025, it will mark Levine’s first time back as a coach on the show in over five years, since he left the series in 2019 after 16 seasons. He has appeared on the show since, though, performing with his band and on the farewell episode for his buddy Blake Shelton, who left the show in May 2023 after coaching for 23 seasons.
Months after leaving the series, Levine said on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that he was loving being at home with his wife, model Behati Prinsloo, and their three children.
“I do miss it but I also don’t miss how much I had to work,” Levine said at the time. “I was constantly working for so many years, very lucky, very fortunate, very blessed, but to just be able to stop in this moment, to spend time with my new young family, and just have the greatest time ever. Now I’m a stay-at-home dad. I just stay at home and do very little.”
Fans Are Still Begging For Blake Shelton to Return, Too
GettyThe original cast of “The Voice” on NBC: Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Blake Shelton in 2012
Levine’s return next season has given many fans hope that Shelton will return to the show, too, at some point. The country star left the show to spend more time with his family, he told Access — particularly Stefani’s three sons, whom she shares with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale.
“I think being a stepdad has changed my perspective in that I’m not the first person that I think about anymore,” Shelton told the outlet, explaining that his decision to leave “The Voice” after 23 seasons was mainly so he could be fully present for the boys.
“There’s no way around it,” he said. “If you’re going to do it and do it right, you have to be 150 percent in. And I just feel like those days are behind me for now. I got a more important job.”
Given that Stefani has appeared on two seasons of the show since his retirement, fans have expressed frustration and hope it means he might reconsider.
“This just doesn’t make sense to me,” one fan wrote on “The Voice” Facebook page. “Blake quit because he needed to spend time with his family. Well then why is Gwen there? I like Gwen. But the question is why is she there if Blake needs to be at home???? Weird!!!”
Ahead of the season 26 premiere, fans continue to beg “The Voice” producers to bring Shelton back. But some have decided to watch with an open mind.
One wrote on Facebook hours before the premiere, “Still miss Blake and Adam Levine but looking forward with a positive attitude to this season!! Love The Voice!”
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