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Gwen Stefani has been an on-and-off coach on The Voice for a few seasons, stepping in as part of the rotating cast of judges. The arrangement has fans questioning just what happened behind-the-scenes now that Stefani won’t be returning and Ariana Grande will be stepping up to fill in the vacancy.
According to Celebrity Insider, In Touch Weekly is set to publish an article in their upcoming April 19 issue that claims Gwen Stefani was fired from the show. According to Gossip Cop, however, that claim is false.
The source reportedly told In Touch Weekly that Gwen Stefani was crushed when she learned that Grande had gotten a job on the show. Gossip Cop reported that the source told In Touch that Stefani “had her heart set on returning. In fact, she was expecting it!”
Why Isn’t Stefani Returning to ‘The Voice?’
A source told In Touch Weekly, according to Gossip Cop, that Stefani was worried that Grande is so popular that “the show may decide to stick with her, which means Gwen may never return.”
The reason for Stefani’s exit has not been reported, but it’s likely that the star is keeping extremely busy. She recently released a new album, and it’s likely that Stefani will choose to go on tour with that album in the fall if COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
There’s also the case of her upcoming wedding to long-time The Voice coach Blake Shelton, who has said In an interview with Hoda Kotb when he was guest-hosting Today With Hoda & Jenna on March 31, 2021, that he wants to get married in the summer before he has to go back on The Voice for the fall season.
He made no mention at the time of what Stefani’s plans were, but he did not say that she was also expecting to make a return to The Voice.
It’s important to note that plenty of gossip surrounding Stefani and Shelton has been false, including reports that they called off their wedding.
Stefani Left ‘The Voice’ Before Season 20
On November 17, 2020, The Voice announced that Nick Jonas would be returning to the show for season 20, taking Stefani’s spot once again.
Stefani has never stayed on The Voice for two consecutive seasons, so it shouldn’t strike viewers as odd that she’ll be absent once again, especially when it comes to the fact that she may have been working on new music while also filming season 19 of the show.
The last time Stefani was absent from the show, it was because she was in the middle of a residency in Las Vegas and was unable to attend tapings. So, while she may not be returning to TV via The Voice, it’s likely Stefani will be busy with plenty of projects as well as planning her wedding to coach Blake Shelton.
Stefani previously opened up in an interview with Ryan Seacrest on On Air with Ryan Seacrest about the non-negotiable at her wedding which is that her parents are able to attend the ceremony, which will only be possible when it’s safe for them to travel again.
She also talked about it being weird for her to say that they’re ‘engaged’ even though she told Seacrest that she feels more “stable” than ever before.
“It feels so weird,” she shared. “People have been saying it for so long, like five years, ‘Are you getting married? Are you engaged?’ and now we actually are, and it feels like I’m in a cartoon or something.”
The Voice airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on NBC.
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