Reba McEntire Gives Warm Welcome To Kelsea Ballerini As She Becomes A Coach On ‘The Voice’ For The First Time
The Voice made its return on Monday, February 3 with coaches Michael Bublé, John Legend, and Adam Levine back in their iconic red chairs.
Also joining them is Kelsea Ballerini, who is making her debut as a coach this season.
RELATED: Season 27 “Voice” Coaches Deliver Spine-Tingling Rendition Of “Tiny Dancer”
As the newcomer to the show, Ballerini has a lot to prove since her fellow coaches have all won The Voice before. Most recently, Michael Bublé took the crown in Season 26 with his team member Sofronio Vasquez.
One person who has made it clear that they are rooting for Ballerini to take the victory this time around is former coach Reba McEntire.
McEntire served as a coach for seasons 24, 25, and 26 until announcing her departure to tackle other projects, including her sitcom Happy’s Place. However, she did manage to make somewhat of an appearance in the Season 27 premiere by leaving a sweet letter and gift for fellow country singer Ballerini.
In the letter, McEntire shares that she is so glad to see the “Peter Pan” singer representing the country genre this season:
“Dear Kelsea, I heard you would be the new coach this season and I’m just so excited for you,” the letter began. “It’s up to you to keep country alive on the show and I know you’ll do a terrific job.”
“Now go out there and show those boys who’s the boss,” she continued.
But, that wasn’t all McEntire had for Ballerini. Along with the encouraging note, she also left a special gift to help set the tone for Ballerini’s success in the competition. McEntire gave her the famous crown she wore last season when she was named “Queen Reba.”
Now, it’s Ballerini’s turn to wear it as she takes on the show.
“I feel so fancy,” Ballerini said as she placed the crown on her head. Which was likely a clever reference to McEntire’s 1990 hit.
‘The Voice’ Announces Important Schedule Change For Season 27
This season of The Voice will look a bit different for viewers, and not just because of the new panel of coaches. In contrast to previous seasons where fans could tune in twice a week (Monday and Tuesday nights), NBC announced that the show will air only once a week for most of the season.
New episodes will be available every Monday at 8/7c through the Blind Auditions and Playoff Rounds. However, once the live shows begin later in the competition, there may be a few Tuesday episodes as well.