'The Voice': Reba McEntire Makes Show Changing Decision

The Voice‘s Reba McEntire makes a show-changing decision in the first episode of Season 26. The country singer changed the life of one contestant when she surprised everyone with her actions. As a returning coach, she knows how to switch things up.

The Voice Begins

Season 26 of The Voice just aired on Monday, September 23 at 8 pm on NBC. The series is known for its unique touch of having the judges face away from the contestants and only get to turn around when they select the singer for their team or when the song is over.

The blind auditions are a stressful time for contestants and judges and this first episode was no different. 37-year-old Kendall Eugene gave a performance that showed some of his talent and style with “Don’t Think Jesus” By Morgan Wallen.

The Queen of Country listened to Eugene’s performance along with her fellow judges. Unfortunately, no one turned around and it seemed Eugene and his guests had given up hope.

Reba McEntire - 'The Voice' coach | YouTube — Reba McEntire | YouTube

Gwen, Michael, and Snoop took the opportunity to express why they didn’t turn around positively. Moreover, the judges encouraged him to pick another song and return to The Voice soon.

Reba noted how the performer’s “style is totally different than anything we’ve heard today. I liked everything about it.” To that, the defeated singer said half-jokingly, “You should’ve turned.”

Furthermore, Reba responded, “I was gonna say that exact same words.” This was when Snoop jumped in to say his piece, giving Reba a moment to contemplate her decision.

A Major Change

Since there may be times when a coach misses an opportunity to get a contestant on their team because they’re questioning whether or not to turn around, a change has been made for this season.

Reba McEntire - 'The Voice' | YouTube — Reba McEntire | YouTube

The coaches have been given the ability of a “Replay Button” on this season of The Voice. It would make sense that the coaches would save it for later in the series because they don’t know what lies ahead.

This seems to be true for first-time judges Snoop Dogg and Michael Buble as well as returning judge, Gwen Stefani. However, fellow returning judge, Reba McEntire decided to use her one and only Replay Button in the first episode.

Thus, keeping Eugene in the competition, changing his life, and bringing him to tears. It was a very emotional moment as the country singer’s family and friends were rooting for her to turn her chair for him.

As this is only the first episode, hopefully, it was a good choice on Reba’s part and not just a risky move. Time will tell on this verdict, but she can still turn in real-time auditions.

Furthermore, the coach remarked about her decision, “I love that song that Kendall was singing, and after the song was over, I felt kind of numb. And in my heart, I wanted him on my team.

Additionally, she explained how beneficial she believes the Replay Button is to The Voice. This is because it is, “the second chance for the coaches when we realized we missed a moment.”

What do you think of Reba’s show-changing decision and did she make it too early? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more news like this at TVShowsAce.