Season 15 of The Voice hasn’t even debuted yet, and plans are already in motion for the 16th season of the show.
One of the first things fans know about an upcoming season of The Voice is the lineup of coaches. For the past 15 seasons, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton have always served as the constants, so their presence is basically set in stone.
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The other famous red chairs have been filled by a series of singers over the years, including Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, and Miley Cyrus.
For Season 15, the panel will consist of Levine, Shelton, and returning coaches Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson. This season marks both Clarkson and Hudson’s second time coaching the show, with Clarkson’s first season being Season 14 and Hudson’s first being Season 13.
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But when The Voice announced its Season 16 lineup of coaches on Thursday (September 13), one of the former coaches’ names was missing. Instead, someone entirely new will be filling in one of the red chairs for the spring season.
That someone is none other than superstar singer John Legend, known for songs such as “All of Me” and “Love Me Now.” He will be taking Hudson’s place on the show, while Levine, Shelton, and Clarkson will all return to coach alongside him.
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The news comes hot on the heels of John’s recent Emmy award win, which made him one of few EGOT winners in entertainment history.
EGOT is an acronym that stands for the major awards in the entertainment world, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. If someone is called an EGOT, it means that they’ve won all four of those awards.
Legend’s accomplishment is especially remarkable, as he is one of the youngest EGOT winners at the age of 39.
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Even though Legend may be a new coach on The Voice, he’s not an unfamiliar face to fans of the show. He has taken to the stage as a guest performer before, and also served as Levine’s team advisor during Season 12:
“I’m thrilled to join the coaches of ‘The Voice,'” Legend said as quoted by Variety. “I’ve been a guest and mentor on the show multiple times and I’m so excited to discover talented singers and help them make the most of their gift.“
You can watch one of Legend and Levine’s behind-the-scenes interviews from their time together on the show by checking out the video below.
What do y’all think of this news? Are you sad that Hudson won’t be returning next season? Fill us in on your thoughts!