HOME / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

Reba McEntire almost said no to returning to ‘The Voice’ — and her reason makes sense: ‘I don’t...’

Reba McEntire is returning for 'The Voice' season 28, but admits she wasn't onboard with the idea initially

Reba McEntire, the country star who coached on the show for seasons 24, 25, and 26, is returning on 'The Voice' season 28, after skipping season 27, owing to her busy schedule.  But not many know that the 70-year-old was not initially on board with the idea. Recently on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers', McEntire opened up why she was hesitant to pick up the role the first time, "I was dreading it at first because I don’t want to tell anybody they suck, you know, you don't have the vibe.” McEntire explained, "I passed on it years ago when it first came over from Holland, and I said, ‘I can’t tell somebody, you know, don’t give up your day job.’ I’m not gonna do that!”

McEntire recalled, "But the way we did it on the first time on 'The Voice,' it was more helpful and encouraging." Speaking of her fellow coaches on the show, the singer added, "And Everybody that's coming back now, Snoop, Michael, myself, and Niall, we are nice people. We encourage, we lift up." Adding to the conversation, host Meyers said, "I think that's always been the nicest part! The cruelty is, you know, between Adam and Blake (referring to the judges' long-term feud)," and McEntire admitted, "That was horrible," while Meyers concluded, "Yes, get the bad energy outta here."

It's not just the host who sang McEntire praises, but also the winner of 'Voice' season 25, Asher HaVon, spoke highly of McEntire in an interview with the Selma Times Journal, "I also call Reba my angel on earth because number one, she saw me, right. She heard me and she saw me. One great thing about ‘The Voice’ is that you don’t know what the individuals look like. You turn from what you feel and what their voice is causing you to feel, and so when she turned, it was an instant connection."

With four decades of experience under her belt, the 'Fancy' singer doesn't just bring star power to the red chair, but she also has years of wisdom earned through years of navigating the highs and lows of the music industry. In an interview with Variety, she once opened up about what concerns her when it comes to contestants chasing stardom: "The thing I worry about is for the people that make it to the finals or win, how do they continue on after that?" Unlike other coaches who get competitive regarding who will win on the show, McEntire's approach goes far beyond the competition, “I hope that they grab this as a learning experience, like a course they took in college, instead of expecting the doors to open up and now here they go, they’re a superstar.”

She continued, “It takes so much work,” she went on. It takes luck. It takes that right song. It takes being at the right place at the right time and a huge team around you to make sure you don’t fall off the pedestals.” This not only proves that McEntire's not just a phenomenal coach but also a mentor for life. Even though the premiere date of 'Voice' season 28 is not disclosed yet, one thing is crystal clear: With "Queen Reba" claiming back her seat on the show, fans and contestants can expect that the next season is going to be nothing short of extraordinary.