The Voice confirmed last month that both Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys will not be appearing on Season 13 of the show later this year, and now producer Mark Burnett is revealing if fans can expect to see them on the show ever again.
Revealing exactly where he stands when it comes to potentially bringing both Gwen and Alicia back as coaches, Burnett told Entertainment Tonight this week that he’d actually love to have both Stefani and Keys back on the show at some point and also admitted that any of the show’s former coaches are always welcome to return.
“Once you’ve got a red chair, you always have a red chair,” The Voice producer replied when asked if fans should expect to see Stefani back, adding that the “challenge” of the show is to get great talent as coaches but also giving them the time to go away and be creative in the music world.
“Coaches go on tour and make albums. This is the challenge of The Voice ,” he said, “[but] we love all our coaches.”
Burnett then continued to gush over Gwen and Blake’s relationship, telling the outlet that seeing Shelton and Stefani so happy after meeting on the show makes him feel “great” while noting that the two are “so in love.”
“You know how great that makes me feel, that two of my favorite people met at The Voice in those red chairs? They’re so in love, and I love them. There just a great, great couple,” Mark gushed of Gwen and Blake, revealing that the couple who started dating around a year and a half ago are “exactly the same” on camera as they are off.
“These are two sincerely loving, fun, brilliant people,” he added of Stefani and Shelton.
Mark’s confession that both Gwen and Alicia are welcome to return to the show as coaches comes amid rumors it may not have been completely Stefani’s decision to leave the show after returning to her red spinning chair for Season 12.
Just days before it was revealed that Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys would both be leaving The Voice to make way for new coaches Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Hudson, Stefani told TV Guide that she wasn’t sure if she’d return but definitely wanted to stick around.
“I don’t know anything yet. I would be open to continuing; I love it,” Gwen said shortly before her departure was announced, though Alicia confirmed in the interview that she definitely would not be back for the upcoming round of shows after coaching consecutively for two seasons.
“This is my last season,” Alicia told the TV magazine in April. “Who knows what the future holds, but I know this one is my final season.”
Keys has since confirmed that she’ll be using her time away from The Voice to work on new music and spend more time with her children, though Gwen has revealed that although she won’t be in front of the cameras for Season 13 she actually won’t be straying far from the set.
Speaking about whether or not she’d be back ahead of The Voice finale last month, Gwen admitted that she doesn’t know if or when she’ll return as a coach but confirmed that she will be back to support boyfriend Blake as he takes on Adam, Jennifer and Miley later this year.
“I don’t have any plans to come back,” Stefani said when asked if and when The Voice fans can expect to see her return after leaving with Alicia, but revealed that she’d still be around for Season 13.
“I’ll let everyone know that I love being here and I’d love to come back,” Gwen continued. “I’ll be here to hang out and, like, hang out with Blake and try to hang out with Adam.”
It is possible that Stefani or Keys could return for Season 14, as there’s currently a chair open alongside Blake and Adam and already confirmed new coach Kelly Clarkson for the first round of 2018.
One person who won’t be returning, however, is Shakira.
The star – who coached on Seasons 4 and 6 – confirmed this week that she will never return to the show again.
Would you like to see Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys back on The Voice soon?
[Featured Image by Jason Merritt/Getty Images and Larry Busacca/Getty Images]