'The Voice': Who Will Replace Adam Levine?
The Voice fans got some shocking news on Friday, when Adam Levine suddenly decided he has had [...]
Gwen Stefani
NBC's initial plan was to bring back Levine, Shelton, Legend and Kelly Clarkson for Season 17 in the fall. However, Levine's decision forced the network to scramble for a replacement. Thankfully, No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani was available. Stefani, who is now dating Shelton, first joined The Voice for Season 7 as a replacement for Christina Aguilera. She returned for Seasons 9 and 12, and appeared in Season 10 as a part-time advisor.
"With Adam's departure you might be wondering, 'Well, who's going to be sitting in that coveted big, giant red chair?'" Daly said on Today. "And I'm happy to share this morning that Gwen Stefani will be returning for season 17. Gwen has sat in the chair before. She met her current boyfriend, Blake Shelton, through the show and we're looking forward to having Gwen back."
prevnextKelsea Ballerini
Country star Kelsea Ballerini would have been an interesting choice to replace Levine and a familiar face to The Voice viewers. The "Love Me Like You Mean It" singer appeared on the show as a part-time coach for the "Comeback Stage" in Season 15, helping eliminated singers claw back to the main stage. She was also a part-time advisor in Season 16.
One negative for Ballerini might be that country music is already represented by Shelton, whose finalists made the Season 16 finale heavy on country.
prevnextBebe Rexha
Bebe Rexha joined The Voice family in Seasons 16 as the "Comeback Stage" coach. At only 29, Rexha could have helped the coaches panel get younger, although she might not have the name recognition the other coaches have. Her recent hits include "I'm A Mess" and the Florida Georgia Line collaboration "Meant to Be."
prevnextJennifer Hudson
Clarkson is not the only former American Idol contestant to appear on The Voice. Jennifer Hudson first appeared on the show as an advisor back during Season 4. She returned as a coach in Seasons 13 and 15. Hudson surprisingly decided to leave The Voice U.K. in early May, after three seasons.
prevnextTom Jones
Sir Tom Jones is the Blake Shelton of the U.K. Voice. He has been a coach on every season of the show, except in 2016. Thanks to a catalog of his dating back to the 1960s, Jones has one of the most recognizable voices in the world. He has never participated in the U.S. version of The Voice, despite his fame on both sides of the Atlantic.
prevnextBoy George
If The Voice U.S. producers are looking to add some drama, perhaps Culture Club singer Boy George could be enticed to coach on a third different version of the franchise. George has been a coach on both The Voice U.K. and The Voice Australia, where he recently walked off the set in a viral moment with a contestant. He has not participated in The Voice U.S., but took part in NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice season with Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2017.
prevnextJoe Jonas
Considering the Jonas Brothers have been everywhere since they reunited earlier this year, it's surprising that NBC did not try to get one of them for The Voice. Joe Jonas took part in The Voice Australia in 2018 and served as a mentor on the U.S. version the year before. Unfortunately, the Jonas Brothers' upcoming tour for Happiness Begins probably made him unavailable.
prevnextJennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez rarely says "no" to anyone, and she has experience with reality show competitions. She is now a judge on NBC's World of Dance and was part of the final judge's panel on the Fox version of American Idol. Her $15 million paycheck was one reason Idol couldn't survive on Fox much longer, but The Voice is still doing well enough in the ratings that NBC might want her. Plus, she is working on new music, and there's no better way to remind fans you have more music coming out than being on TV twice a week.
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