Superstar ‘in Talks’ to Replace Ariana Grande on ‘The Voice’: Report

NBC Ariana Grande on 'The Voice' Season 21

Ariana Grande’s short tenure on NBC’s “The Voice” might already be coming to an end, with her potential replacement being an entertainment superstar.

According to a January 20 report by Radar Online, Jennifer Lopez, a guest during season 21 of the show, is a target for executives who may want her back full-time.

Grande, who joined the cast of “The Voice” in September 2021, failed to get any of her acts to the show’s finale.

“At the end of the day, Ariana Grande didn’t bring in the ratings,” Radar Online reported a source saying. “She has more social media followers than all the other stars combined, yet her fans didn’t tune in.”

J.Lo Could Replace Either Grande or Blake Shelton

According to the Radar Online report, Lopez could replace Grande, but it’s also possible that she could be a replacement for Blake Shelton, who has been on the show since its debut in April 2011.

“Everyone was so excited when Jennifer Lopez was at the show,” the source told Radar Online. “There have been a lot of big stars performing on ‘The Voice,’ but there was something different about Jennifer’s visit.”

They added, “All the top execs and producers were on set that day, and after she finished filming, there was a lot of closed-door meeting trying to convince her to join the show full-time.”

Of course, reports of celebrities being in talks to join or leave the cast of “The Voice” have been wrong in the past, so viewers should take all rumors with a grain of salt.

“The Voice” has not yet been renewed for season 22. If it is renewed, the show, which has aired twice a year, will skip a spring season and will return in fall 2022, likely in mid-September.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The Voice” was still NBC’s biggest hit in 2021, with an average of 8 million weekly viewers.

A Source Said Grande ‘Won’t Be Back’

The source also told Radar that “it is safe to say that Ariana won’t be back.”

The seat that Grande took on “The Voice” has been a revolving door for coaches in the past couple of seasons. First, Gwen Stefani filled the seat for a few seasons. When she took a break for season 18, Nick Jonas filled in.

Stefani returned for season 19, and Jonas returned for season 20. Then, Grande announced that she’d be taking over the role. It’s not likely that Jonas will return to “The Voice” because he and his wife, Priyanka Chopra, just welcomed their first child via surrogate. Stefani could return to the role, however.

All of that being said, it’s not likely that Grande’s time on “The Voice” is over. She’ll probably return for season 22 in late 2022. Even if the star does not return then, it’s likely she would be back on a later season.

She made a huge deal about being on “The Voice” in the first place, and it’s not likely her contract would run out after just one season on the competition show.

READ NEXT: Country Star Turned Down ‘Voice’ Before Blake Shelton Got the Job