Country music star Reba McEntire will join “The Voice” season 23 as a “mega mentor,” NBC announced Wednesday.
Joining previously announced coaches Chance the Rapper, Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Blake Shelton, the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee will kick-start her mentorship after the Battle Rounds ahead of the Knockout round.
After serving as “battle advisor” to Team Blake during the show’s first ever season, McEntire will collaborate with Shelton one more time before he leaves “The Voice” after coaching promising artists for over 12 years. Along the way he became the winningest coach on “The Voice,” with eight of his artists being the last one standing.
The network show also announced a slate of changes to the music competition, introducing a “playoff pass” that can be enacted during battles, which begin March 27. It enables both artists in a battle to advance, with the winner skipping knockout rounds. During the battles round, each coach will have one “playoff pass” and one “steal,” enabling seven artists per team advance, with six competing in the knockouts and one “playoff pass” artist heading straight to the playoffs.
“The Voice” Season 23 premieres Monday, March 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, with the Knockouts premiering April 17 and the live show debuting Monday, May 15.