Reba McEntire famously turned down the opportunity to be a coach on The Voice, with the role going to Blake Shelton instead. With Shelton leaving after the upcoming season, McEntire remains coy on whether or not she would take the seat he is vacating.
“Who could fill Blake’s shoes?” McEntire reflects to Entertainment Tonight. “That’s gonna be tough. He did a great job, and kudos to him.”
McEntire recalls seeing a version of the show that was airing in Holland, and felt it wasn’t a good fit for her. “They sent it to me and I said, ‘I can’t see me doing that,'” she recalls. “Because, you know, I’m a gypsy at heart.”
The Grand Ole Opry member has since said she regrets her decision to not be on The Voice, but at the time, she didn’t think she would be able to be as brutally honest as it appeared she would need to be.
“It was a very popular show in Holland, I’m pretty sure,” McEntire told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live. “I watched the tape and I said ‘No, I’m going to pass on that, because I don’t think I’d ever be able to tell somebody that they’re terrible, or ‘Go find another job’ or ‘Hope you like your nighttime job.’ I couldn’t do that, day in and day out. I just couldn’t do it. So I did pass on it. Blake was the perfect choice. He’s done a wonderful job.”
In October, Shelton that Season 23, which premieres on March 6, would be his last season as a coach. The “No Body” singer broke the news in a letter to his fans, shared on social media.
“I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after next season,” he said in part. “This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best.
“It takes a lot of work, passion, and adult beverages (Ha!) to pull off a live show twice a week,” Shelton continued. “I’ve made lifelong bonds with Carson [Daly] and every single one [of] my fellow coaches over the years, including my wife Gwen Stefani!”
McEntire certainly has enough to keep her busy besides adding a TV show to the mix. She will embark on the 2023 leg of her Reba: Live In Concert Arena Tour on March 9 in Jacksonville, Florida. Terri Clark and The Isaacs will serve as her special guests.
McEntire also recently celebrated the grand opening of her own Reba’s Place restaurant and music venue, in Atoka, Oklahoma. Keep track of all of her updates at Reba.com.