Season 26 of The Voice is just about to crown a new champion, however, the news surrounding the show does not stop there. In addition to choosing a new champion, there is another major storyline—the exit of Reba McEntire.

As is the case for many past coaches—look no further than Adam Levine—just because a coach exits, doesn’t mean their time with The Voice is over. Still, any time away from the Queen of Country will certainly sting for true fans of the show.

So, why is Reba stepping away from the show? Despite what people might be speculating, the most likely answer to why Reba’s leaving The Voice is straightforward and entirely justifiable. In short, Reba is likely too busy to continue with the show, at this point. And that is all thanks to her wildly successful sitcom, Happy’s Place.

Reba McEntire’s Star Role in Happy’s Place

This year, Reba starred in and produced NBC’s hit sitcom, Happy’s Place. Joined by cast members, Rex Lin and Melissa Peterman, the sitcom has garnered over 14 million viewers since its premiere in October of 2024, per Variety. Thanks to the show’s success, NBC picked up the show for five more episodes in season one. With an original episode count of 13, Reba and the cast will now film five more episodes and make the total count for season one 18 episodes.

These five episodes will surely not be the last five episodes of the show’s career. Rather, while Reba films these episodes, she and the rest of the Happy’s Place team will be patiently waiting for NBC to pick up the show for season 2. If the show is picked up for a second season, chances are Reba will be consumed with filming. Thus, her chances of returning to The Voice in the near future will be slimmer than they already are. Though, never say never, weirder things have happened.

Reba’s Long Relationship with ‘The Voice’

Reba has consistently appeared on The Voice since season 24, so seeing her leave will be a sentimentally difficult goodbye. Reba made her first appearance on the show back in 2011 when she was an advisor for Blake Shelton back in the season one Battle rounds. She was also an advisor in the season eight and 23 Knockout rounds.

Needless to say, Reba’s place will be hard to fill, as she has gifted The Voice with some wholesomely memorable television.