John Legend holding up a white jacket with the word "legend" embroidered on the back.

John Legend first joined The Voice’s judging panel in Season 16. John’s team member Maelyn Jarmon won that season, making Legend a rookie winner as a coach. After nine seasons, Legend is now a fan favorite, but is John Legend leaving The Voice in Season 26 or is he coming back?

Will John Legend Be On The Voice Season 26?

John Legend on The VoiceImage via NBC.

No, John Legend will not be on the judging panel for The Voice‘s upcoming Season 26. However, Legend will be coming back for Season 27, which is set to premiere in spring 2025. So die-hard John Legend fans can relax.

In May 2024, the 12-time Grammy winner announced that he would be taking a season off from The Voice to go on tour and travel. But John isn’t ready to leave The Voice just yet. On July 19, the show announced via Instagram that Season 27 had begun filming with Adam Levine, Kelsea Ballerin, Michael Bublé, and past-winning coach John Legend.

“We’ve always got so many things going on. I’ll be doing a lot of shows this summer and traveling overseas this summer. I’ll be back. If only I were actually going to take a break!” he told ET. Legend also expressed his appreciation for Season 26’s new coach, Snoop Dog.

“What is The Voice without Team Legend? I am excited to be back on The Voice next year,” said Legend on The Voice’s second Instagram announcement.

Who Was Team Legend’s Strongest Contender on Season 25 of The Voice?

Image via NBC.

Despite coming in at fourth place, Nathan Chester was one of Legend’s strongest singers. Fans weren’t so happy that Chester didn’t make it further in the competition. His charisma and Motown look made him all the more likable throughout the competition. Unfortunately, he was voted out, making him the fourth finalist. Havon’s co-team member, Bryan Olesen, made it to third place.

When asked what he’d take away from being under Legend’s mentorship, Chester stated, “I can take away a spirit of gratitude; I can take away a spirit of confidence; I can take away a spirit of love; I can take away a spirit of vision. And that’s all thanks to you. Thank you so much.”

So to answer the initial question, yes, John Legend will be leaving The Voice and will not appear in Season 26, but he will come back as a judge in Season 27.

Season 26 of The Voice will premiere on September 23 on NBC and will be available for streaming on Peacock the following day.