Do ‘The Voice’ contestants earn money? The reality is way more bizarre than you'd imagine
'The Voice' contestants go through blind auditions, battle rounds, knockouts, playoffs, and live performances before one of them claims the whopping $100,000 grand prize and a recording contract. Hence, the question remains: Do the contestants make actual money while staying on the reality talent show? The answer is no, they don't get paid in terms of a steady income, however, their living expenses are covered in the form of an undisclosed stipend, Newsweek reported.
The contestants are also subjected to some strict rules, which state that the series "may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing, and may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation, or condemnation," as per the outlet. They are also reportedly warned of being replaced at the behest of the show, the rig is justified by the fact that the "Producer and the network..shall have the right at any and all times..to remove or replace me as a participant in the series, for any reason whatsoever, in their sole discretion."
Former season two contestant Jessie Poland told Cosmopolitan in 2021 that the participants' personal lives remained stagnated till they were eliminated from the show. According to the strict rules, they are not allowed to take up another job or gig while performing on the reality show. “I couldn’t make a ton of money. And even though I worked as a film writer and played shows, I couldn’t do that while I was on The Voice. I couldn’t really work. No one can work,” she said while also admitting that, in order to make extra money during her time on the show, she had to rent her residence.
Season one contestant Vicci Martinez confessed that her relationship took the hit, “I was engaged to someone at the time, and we had to break up because of [The Voice]. I had just bought a house in my hometown [Tacoma, Washington], and I actually just ended up giving the house away and staying in L.A.” However, she also admitted that they were treated to gourmet food during their stay. “They had a Starbucks there with snacks all day," she said before confessing that other female contestants were on a constant weight watch. Polan echoed the sentiments and said that she gained weight during the competition because of the decadent food, “It was f*****g sweet. You got money [a stipend] to go out, and the catering was really great. I ate really well.”
'The Voice' contestants who do not win the prize money continue their individual journey through various gigs or solo album releases. However, season 21 semi-finalist Lana Scott told Country Now that coach Blake Shelton remains in touch with his team. Scott also disclosed that he helped her book shows in her hometown of Nashville. "He’s called in before while I was performing in Nashville. I also ran into him one time in Nashville, where he was recording Barmageddon, but he stopped the recording when he saw me, ran up to me, hugged me, and that was really nice, especially because that wasn’t on The Voice set. It was just this genuine, sweet moment," she said.