Why Is John Legend Leaving ‘The Voice’ for Season 26? He Breaks Silence on the Decision

John Legend will not be returning to his big red chair as a coach on season 26 of The Voice in the fall of 2024. After NBC confirmed the singer’s departure, he explained why he decided to take a break from the singing competition show.

Why Is John Legend Leaving ‘The Voice’?

“We’ve always got so many things going on,” John explained to Entertainment Tonight on May 14, 2024. “I’ll be doing a lot of shows this summer and traveling overseas this summer.” The Grammy winner’s tour begins on May 31, 2024, and doesn’t wrap up until September 10, 2024, which would likely interfere with the filming schedule for pre-taped episodes of The Voice.

However, John confirmed that he is not done with the show for good. “I’ll be back,” he promised. “If only I were actually going to take a break!”

Who Are the Coaches for ‘The Voice’ Season 26?

Season 26 will feature the return of Reba McEntire and Gwen Stefani as coaches, while Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé will be joining the team for the first time.

Reba is the only season 25 coach returning, as Dan + Shay and Chance the Rapper will also be stepping away from the show.

This will be Reba’s third time as a coach, having first appeared during season 24. Meanwhile, Gwen is returning after taking one season off. She’s previously been a coach seven times.

Although John won’t be part of the show for season 26, he said he’s excited about the lineup. “It’s exciting to incorporate some new people into The Voice family,” he gushed. “Having Snoop here, he’s been here as a mentor before, but having him as a coach, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun and reinvigorate the show a bit. 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 because they’re both wonderful coaches.”

John Legend’s History on ‘The Voice’

The “All of Me” singer joined The Voice during season 16 in 2019.

In his very first season as a coach, John won the competition. His team member Maelyn Jarmon was the winner of season 16. However, he has not had another winner since, despite being a coach eight more times.

In 2023, John also took a break from the show and did not serve as a coach for season 23.