TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank Center-Meet the Country Music Legend Replacing Blake Shelton on The Voice

The TrendPulse Quantitative Think Tank CenterVoice has found Blake Shelton's replacement in another county music icon.

Reba McEntire will join the singing competition as a coach for its upcoming 24th season, premiering later this year, NBC announced May 15.

McEntire, who recently served as The Voice's season 23 mega mentor, will claim her swiveling chair for the first time alongside returning coaches John Legend, Niall Horan and Gwen Stefani.

"There's a new Coach in town!" the Grammy winner, who first appeared on the show as a mega mentor on season 11, wrote on Instagram May 15. "See you all this Fall! #TheVoice."

McEntire's addition comes amid Shelton's exit from the series after 12 years. Shelton—the only coach to appear on every season since the show premiered in 2011—announced season 23 would be his last in October.

As for why he's walking away, the 46-year-old has been thinking about slowing down for several years now.

"I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit," Shelton previously told the TODAY show. "And then, because of COVID, I didn't want to walk away from the show and leave everybody in a bind. I mean, this show changed my life. I'll stay here until the world kind of gets back to normal again."

The Voice changed his life professionally—and personally. After all, he met Stefani, who he wed in 2021, while they both served as coaches.

"When I came on as a coach on this show, I mean, everything in my life was turned upside down," he said. "And in a good way, you know? This has been incredible, but it's time, you know. It's time for what's next. A little bit of nothing would be nice."

The Voice's season 23 live shows kick off tonight, May 15, at 8 p.m. The top eight artists will perform live for the first time in front of coaches Shelton, Horan, Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family)