Even though NBC’s “The Voice” boasts an impressive foursome of coaches, the media has never been shy about showering Christina Aguilera with credit for the show’s success.
When commenting on “The Voice”‘s ratings win over “The X Factor” last week, numerous sources even framed it a victory for Christina over teen pop contemporary Britney Spears.
Come this spring, we will find out how integral Aguilera is to the show’s ongoing appeal.
NBC confirmed Monday that Aguilera, along with fellow coach Cee Lo Green, will sit on the sidelines for the spring 2013 “Voice” season as they fulfill other professional commitments.
Original coaches Adam Levine and Blake Shelton will return, however, and will be joined by interim replacements Usher and Shakira.
“We are thrilled to welcome Usher and Shakira to ‘The Voice.’ The addition of these popular iconic artists continues the tradition established by Christina, CeeLo, Adam and Blake,” said NBC’s Robert Greenblatt. “Doing two back-to-back cycles of this show requires a tremendous amount of time, and we are happy to accommodate the commitments made by Christina and CeeLo. The participants on our show benefit from our coaches’ expertise and their continued success in the music business allows for significant new contributions to the contestants when they return.”
As the “The Voice” emerged as a breakout hit in the spring of 2010, various reports speculated NBC would introduce a new foursome of coaches each season. But with Aguilera, Green, Levine and Shelton gelling so well, the decision was made to keep them around on a regular basis.
This spring, however, will provide something of a glimpse into what could have been had NBC indeed cycled out judges each season.