Why John Legend Stepped Away From ‘The Voice’

John Legend will not be holding down a coaches chair on this season of The Voice, but he won’t be gone long. Earlier this year, Legend revealed that he’s chosen to sit out Season 26, telling ET’s Cassie DiLaura that he’ll be taking a break next season because he and his family “always got so many things going on,” eventually adding that he will be back for Season 27 in Spring 2025.

“I’ll be doing a lot of shows this summer and traveling overseas this summer,” Legend said, then quipping, “I’ll be back… If only I were actually going to take a break!” Notably, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay will also be sitting out The Voice this season, leaving seasoned coach Gwen Stefani and newcomer Reba McEntire to be joined by Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé as brand new coaches.

“It’s exciting to incorporate some new people into The Voice. Having Snoop here, he’s been here as a mentor before, but having him as a coach, I think is going to be a lot of fun and reinvigorate the show a bit,” Legend offered. “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.”

Over the summer, NBC dropped new details about Season 27 of the hit singing competition show — premiering next year — which included the names of the new coaches. Current coach Reba McEntire’s name was nowhere to be found, indicating that Season 26 will be her last.

Joining Legend in Season 27 is a fan-favorite judge that viewers will be excited to see return: Adam Levine. The Maroon 5 singer was an original coach when the show debuted in 2011, and he remained with it until 2019, coaching three winners over his eight-year run. He and Legend will be joined by new Season 26 coach Michael Bublé and country singer Kelsea Ballerini, who will make her Voice debut in Season 27.