Even though Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Michael Bublé, and Niall Horan are still hard at work on Season 28 of The Voice, plans for the next season are underway.
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Dubbed the Battle of Champions, the upcoming season will introduce a new format, some rule changes, and see the return of three fan-favorite judges.
Who's Coming Back to "The Voice"?
Back in July, it was announced that Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine would be taking a seat in the famous rotating red chairs. John Legend will also be joining the pair, with no plans for a fourth.
That's right, there will only be three judges this season, and Legend will prove to be the perfect foil for Clarkson.
"Kelly Clarkson is an amazing vocalist, of course. Great voice coach," Legend has said. "And we often went head-to-head on choices, which means we would turn for similar artists."
So, There Are Three Judges. What Are Some of the Other Changes Coming?
The Blind Auditions will introduce a new element called the Triple Turn Competition. In this round, coaches will compete to earn the most three-chair turns. The coach who accumulates the highest number of these will receive a Super Steal, which provides an advantage in the next round.
The Super Steal can be used once by a coach during the Battle Rounds. When used, it overrides any other coach's attempts to steal a contestant. It ensures that coach will secure that artist for their team.
The Blind Auditions will conclude once each coach has selected 10 artists for their team.
During the Knockouts, each coach can bring back two contestants they previously mentored in past seasons to participate in the In-Season All-Star Competition. The coach whose artists win the most head-to-head sing-offs in this round will be able to send two contestants to the finale.
Another Former Judge Is Returning to "The Voice
Judging the In-Season All-Star Competition will be CeeLo Green. He was a Coach for the show's first three seasons and made a return in Season 5.
The Voice: Battle of Champions is set to premiere on NBC with a two-hour episode at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Feb. 23. There will be two more episodes that week, beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern time on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26.
