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He’s turned his chair around for the last time. Ever since NBC announced his exit, fans have been wondering why John Legend is leaving The Voice and the real reason for his exit after nine seasons as a coach and one win.
News broke that Legend was leaving The Voice at NBC’s upfront presentation on May 13, 2024. Along with Legend, Season 25 coaches Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay will also leave The Voice after the current season. They will be replaced by returning coach Gwen Stefani, as well as new coaches Snoop Dogg and Michael Buble. The trio will join current coach Reba McEntire for Season 26.
Why is John Legend leaving The Voice?
As for why Legend is leaving The Voice, the singer revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight on May 14, 2024, that he was retiring as a coach due to his upcoming tour and international travel plans. “We’ve always got so many things going on. I’ll be doing a lot of shows this summer and traveling overseas this summer,” Legend said. “I’ll be back… If only I were actually going to take a break!”
Legend’s tour, An Evening With John Legend, is set to start on May 31, 2024, in Durant, Oklahoma, and continue for almost four months until his last show in Cincinnati, Ohio. Along with cities across the United States, Legend will also perform at stops in Italy and Germany.
Legend also told Entertainment Tonight about his reaction to Season 26’s new slate of coaches. “It’s exciting to incorporate some new people into The Voice family. 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 said. “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.”
Both Buble and Snoop have appeared on The Voice in the past. Buble was a guest advisor for Blake Shelton during Season 3, while Snoop was a mega mentor in Season 20. Legend, for his part, joined The Voice as a coach in Season 16. He remained on the show for seven seasons before taking a break before Season 23. He returned in Season 24 before his second before Season 26. Legend has won The Voice once in his first season in Season 16 with contestant Maelyn Jarmon.
During his interview with Entertainment Tonight, Legend commended new coaches Dan + Shay, The Voice‘s first duo coach, for having three contestants in the Season 25 semifinals. “I really think every coach has an artist that I could see winning the show,” he said. When asked how much he wants his own win in Season 25, Legend told the site, “It would feel great. I’m just rooting for the artist to be their best selves, honestly.”
He also reflected on having his children, daughter Luna and son Miles, whom he shares with wife Chrissy Teigen, visit him on the set of The Voice for the first time. “They loved it. They really had a blast,” Legend said before revealing which of his contestants his kids bonded with the most. “Their favorite — not being biased, but maybe being biased — was Nathan [Chester]… I feel like my team did well with my favorite advisors.”
During the red carpet for The Voice‘s finale, Legend was also interviewed by Luna for Entertainment Tonight, where he was grilled by his daughter about why his team should win. “Because we have some amazing singers. And your favorite performance, when you guys came last time, was Nathan. And he’s going to be performing today and it’s going to be even better than the last time,” Legend said.
When Luna asked her father’s plans to celebrate after the finale, Legend responded, “Well, we’re going to celebrate here, on the studio campus with all of the producers and everybody, and the crew that made the show happen. And we’re going to bring lots of my wine, LVE, we’re bringing donuts, and we’re going to have a nice celebration here.”
The Voice is available to stream on Peacock.
For more on The Voice, check out this gallery on the best and worst winners.
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