Each new season of The Voice adds a few dozen more young artists who have to decide if they’ll keep all of the show’s secrets.

Most do, but some spill tea.

Season 25 of The Voice is underway, with country stars Reba McEntire and Dan + Shay coaching and Keith Urban installed as Mega Mentor.

Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery are the most successful country music winners, but certainly not the most successful country singers to compete.
 Michael Huntley won Season 24 last fall.

A list like this often saves the most fascinating facts for last, but we’re pretty sure No. 1 will stun you.

The singing reality show has relied heavily on country music in the 13 years since its debut, but very few winners or runners-up have launched a commercially viable career. Two facts about who has and hasn’t thrived post-show may feel like a gut punch to fans who rooted hard for would-be winners.

You could make a case that it’s much better to finish outside the Top 5 than it is to claim the show’s grand prize.

Information on the show’s contracts, auditions, judges and winners will follow. You’ll find that each contestant’s journey begins long before the Blind Auditions and includes much more training than you’ve ever imagined.

After this gallery of 12 things The Voice wished we didn’t know, find an update on each of coach Blake Shelton’s winners.

We read the fine print! Here are 12 things NBC’s The Voice doesn’t want you to know about the contracts, the judges, the auditions and what’s become of the winners.

The Chairs Don’t Really Make a Sound

In 2021, contestant Kat Perkins told Cosmo that the spinning red chairs don’t actually make the “whoosh” sound you hear on TV. That’s added in post-production.

GTFO After You’re Eliminated

One minute they love you, the next they don’t know your name. Maybe it’s not that dramatic for contestants eliminated from The Voice, but it’s close. There’s no going away party, no matter how deep a bond you’ve formed with fellow contestants and staff. Perkins tells Cosmopolitan that you’re literally on the next flight home.

The Things Celebrity YouTube channel reported on a 32-page contract that contestants had to sign to be on the show, and it’s detailed. Season 1 singer Frenchie Davis opened up about psychologists on staff, but this YT video claims the show can not only force mental health evaluations, but they can share those results on television.

That’s never actually happened, thankfully. Instead the counselors are mostly used to catch emotional contestants who’ve just been dropped by the show.

‘The Voice’ Rejected These Country Stars

Luke Combs was famously rejected by The Voice for being too boring, and he’s not alone. Other country hitmakers have gotten dumped with no TV time, including Maren Morris.

Brett Young was also rejected three times, but after moving to Nashville they called him and said he could go right to the Blind Auditions if he wanted. By then his career was cooking, so he told them, “Nah, I’m good.”

How Much Do Judges on ‘The Voice’ Make?

Of course, no coach from The Voice has ever revealed how much they are paid, but there have been leaks. It ranges from $2 million (Cee Lo Green in Season 1) to $25 million (Ariana Grande, Season 21), but most nab between $8 million and $13 million a season.

Blake Shelton was always thought to be at the high end of that range. Same for his wife Gwen Stefani, but not good friend Kelly Clarkson. She is rumored to have gotten $15 million for her participation in seasons 14-21. Shoutout to Yahoo for cobbling together this info, with links to original sources.

What Do Winners of ‘The Voice’ Get?

The prize for winning The Voice has been remarkably consistent: $100,000 and a record deal with UMG. However just about every winner has struggled to get their new label’s attention.

Craig Wayne Boyd and Sundance Head have both talked about a lack of respect for their music post-show. Winners have a very poor track record, but we’ll touch on that more later.

Literally No Winner of ‘The Voice’ Has Hit No. 1

That’s Season 2 winner Jermaine Paul holding up a No. 1. That’s as close as any winner ever got to No. 1. None of the show’s 24 winners have topped a singles chart in any genre.

The closest in country was Cassadee Pope, who had a Platinum-certified Top 10 hit after winning. One or two artists have also scored similar on Christian music charts, but by and large this is a group destined for a future “Whatever Happened To ….” feature.

You Don’t Want to Actually Win ‘The Voice’!

You’ve seen how poorly winners have done commercially. That’s not true for mid-packers.

Morgan Wallen is the most famous also-ran on The Voice, but others have scored hits. In country, songwriter Nicolle Galyon (Season 2) and “Wild as Her” hitmaker Corey Kent (Season 8) stand out.

Beyond that you’ll find Grammy-nominated gospel singer Koryn Hawthorne (Season 8) and pop star Melanie Martinez (Season 3).

About That Humiliation Clause …

The contract a contestant signs is — or at least, was — pretty wild. The New York Daily News shared that the show could change the rules at any time, ignore the vote in the event of problems and eliminate contestants at any time.

Celebrity Access forwarded a clause that states that by signing, you agree to be presented in ways that “may be disparaging, defamatory, embarrassing (and) may expose me to public ridicule, humiliation or condemnation.”

‘The Voice’ Tour Bombed!

The Voice tried an American Idol-esque tour of its stars, but people weren’t interested. After Season 1, The Voice Live on Tour rolled out dates, and most were canceled due to lackluster sales.

A few seasons later the show tried again, but again nobody was interested in shelling out real money to watch winner Tessanne Chin and friends.

‘The Voice’ Judges See 18 to 20 Singers a Day During Auditions

On any given Blind Auditions day, coaches will only see between 18 and 20 contestants, which actually passes the eyeball test because this show has never felt like a cattle call like some others. Part of the reason for this is because …

Training Is Intense!

Anyone who’s tried out for both American Idol and The Voice will tell you the NBC show does it better. You have several rounds of virtual and (local) in-person auditions before flying to L.A. for the blinds.

Additionally, a singer is training non-stop for months before the blinds. Cosmopolitan‘s article quotes several singers who opened up about how producers would train them for everything, including fainting on stage and reaction to feedback from coaches. There were also vocal lessons, social media training and interview prep.