With Gwen Stefani heading back to The Voice for Season 26 in the fall, fans just knew that the feud rumors between her and Reba McEntire would heat up again. That’s exactly what is happening ahead of the new season after the country star settled in nicely into her second season as a coach, which just happened to be the season that Stefani skipped.

“During the last season, Reba really found her groove and an in with the bosses, her fellow coaches and the audience and became a behind-the-scenes mentor herself, but don’t let that maternal side fool you,” a source told Life & Style. They go on to claim that she’s “extremely competitive” and that may rub off on her working relationship with the “Hollaback Girl” singer. The insider claimed that McEntire is “letting Gwen know that she’s in charge.”

What makes this reported rift so fascinating is that the 69-year-old Nashville star took over Blake Shelton’s seat when he exited after Season 23 — yep, Stefani’s husband. For years, Shelton was managed by McEntire’s former husband Narvel Blackstock of Starstruck Entertainment, so they developed a friendly relationship over the years, but the women reportedly didn’t strike that same chord. “Gwen doesn’t feel like she has a chance to shine the way she wants,” a RadarOnline source said in September 2023.

However, Stefani had nothing but lovely things to say about the country queen in an October 2023 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. “It feels surreal when you look over and you see her there because she’s just such an icon,” Stefani gushed to Hudson. “And it’s like, that’s her. Like, I’m next to her, and that voice is coming out, and we’re doing this. It was a pretty surreal moment. Beyond a bucket list, because it’s like, you just never would think that that would happen in your life.”

McEntire also has a great reputation in Hollywood, so it seems like the feud rumors don’t hold a lot of weight. Stefani wouldn’t come back to The Voice if the atmosphere behind the scenes with McEntire was that bad. And of course, the country sweetheart praised the entire cast during her first season on the NBC show. “Everybody knows the game plan, from the crew, the producers. Everybody on the show is so nice, so sweet, and have been so helpful. I’m loving it,” she told Newsweek. McEntire and Stefani are going to be just fine together.