‘The Voice’ Boss Says Season 31 Celeb Contestants Were More ‘Competitive’ Than Anticipated

Alyssa Norwin October 23, 2026, 10:15 am

Queen Latifah, Joe Jonas, Riley Green — NBC

What To Know

Season 31 of The Voice will feature all celebrity contestants for the first time.
Executive producer Audrey Morrissey tells TV Insider how “competitive” the stars were and teases what else to expect.
Riley Green and Queen Latifah will return as coaches, along with newbie Joe Jonas.

The celebrity contestants on the upcoming 31st season of The Voice didn’t come to the show just to phone it in and get a few extra minutes in the spotlight. In fact, executive producer Audrey Morrissey tells TV Insider we can expect real talent on the show’s first-ever season with celebrity contestants.

“Unlike some other shows that involve celebrities, the idea of this show is not to teach people how to sing,” Morrissey explains. “They have to be able to legitimately sing and turn a [coach’s] chair. It’s like, ‘Who’s going to put themselves out there as themselves singing to the backs of red chairs?’ It’s super vulnerable.”

She notes that the contestants aren’t “proper, legitimate artists” already. Rather, the goal was to find people, “whether they’re athletes, or actors, or maybe personalities from reality shows” who are also “incredible singers.”

Kelly Clarkson, Riley Green, Queen Latifah, Adam Levine

Trae Patton/NBC

“I don’t think any of us fully anticipated how competitive they would be,” Morrissey admits. “And then you realize, ‘Oh, they didn’t get to where they are by accident. These people grind it out. They put in the work. They want to be the best they can be.'”

She also says filming the celebrity season has been “really invigorating” and expects fans to find it “really fun.”

Riley Green and Queen Latifah, who are on Season 30 for the first time as coaches, will be back for Season 31, along with newbie Joe Jonas. Keke Palmer will serve as host of the new installment, which will air in spring 2027.

'The Voice': Riley Green Stands By First-In Pick in Battle Rounds

Right now, though, The Voice is in the thick of Season 30, with Green, Latifah, Kelly Clarkson, and Adam Levine in the big red chairs. The coaches are currently in the process of cutting their teams down in the Battle Rounds, which will be followed by Cut Week. There will then be six weeks of Live Shows before America votes for a winner.

The Voice, Season 31, TBA, 2027, NBC

The Voice, Season 30, Mondays, 8/7c, NBC