After 21 seasons, The Voice has hosted hundreds of singers looking for fame. Here are some contestants that regret their experience on the show.
With over 20 seasons of The Voice completed since its 2011 premiere, it's natural for some contestants, out of the hundreds who have appeared, to regret their time on television. Based on the Dutch program The Voice of Holland, a panel of celebrity coaches fight for their talent to win the competition; the winning singer receives $100,000 and a record deal with Universal Music Group, while the winning coach receives bragging rights. Out of the original four coaches — CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, and Christina Aguilera — only Blake remains, while Carson Daly has held hosting duties since day one.
While The Voice is often compared to American Idol — whose first winner, Kelly Clarkson, has ironically been a coach since season 14 — there are several key differences between them. While the coaches on The Voice hand-select the singers they wish to guide through the competition, American Idol judges critique the contestants after their performances. American Idol judges also determine who goes to Hollywood based on their complete package: a person's singing skill, personality, and physical appearance are all taken into account. On the other hand, The Voice is known for blindly judging auditionees by having their backs to the stage. If a coach likes the contestant's voice, they turn their chair around to face them; if only one coach turns around, that person is automatically on their team. If more than one celebrity faces the singer, however, that person gets to choose who they want as a mentor.
The Voice has produced several stars who have gone on to have established careers, such as the late Christina Grimmie and season 4 winner Danielle Bradbery. Other contestants who have appeared on the show already had a following prior to competing, like former Hey Monday singer Cassadee Pope, who won season 3 in 2012; Alisan Porter, a former child star, was the winner of season 10. On the other hand, there are some singers who probably wish, in hindsight, that they had explored other avenues. The Voice is not immune to criticism and controversy, with some contestants landing in particularly hot water. Others simply faded out of the limelight. Here are a few singers who may not look back on their time so fondly.
Ryan Gallagher successfully auditioned for The Voice in 2020 with his own version of Celine Dion's "The Prayer." Kelly, who was visibly excited within the first few seconds of Ryan's singing, turned around and chose him to be on her team. While the coaches and viewers at home were amazed by his operatic talent, he mysteriously vanished from the program during the knockout rounds with little-to-no explanation. That November, NBC revealed that the 31-year-old was banned from the competition for banning COVID-19 safety protocols; discovered in late 2019, the ensuing COVID pandemic has changed the course of television production, with regular testing, mask mandates, and even vaccination statues now required.
Ryan's manager, Michael Catalano, denied the accusation to ET soon after, saying, "As you can imagine there is more to the story here than the show has announced and at an appropriate time and place of our choosing Ryan and I will be able to share the balance of the details, as well as Ryan’s side of the story." Despite promising to reveal what really happened two years ago, Ryan and Michael have yet to prove The Voice wrong. While Ryan has found some success since his short appearance on NBC, he probably would've fared better to bow out with grace than try to make an excuse for his behind-the-scenes actions.
Jamaican singer Tessanne Chin got her start in the music industry after winning The Voice season 5. A member of Adam's team, Tessanne chose her mentor after all four coaches turned around during her performance of Pink's "Try." With a powerful voice and soulful personality, Tessanne received the highest number of public votes to win in history at the time. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old later revealed that the show, in her opinion, ultimately hindered her success in the music industry.
In 2016, Tessanne told Popdust, "I’m going to be very honest. The show has provided some incredible opportunities, and it has afforded me to be able to see many different parts of the world and to have a very wonderful career. However, it can put you into a bubble. You want people to see you first and foremost as an artist and not as ‘oh, that’s the girl who won a competition show.’" While Tessanne's 2014 debut album Count on My Love was released months after winning the competition, the singer also implied that Republic Records, to who she was signed, moved things along too quickly, continuing, "You come off a reality show and vocal competition where you sing other people's songs and then you have to figure out what kind of artist you are in the space of three months."
The daughter of Full House star Cameron Candance Bure, no one has been more outspoken about their The Voice regrets than Natasha Bure. At 17 years old, Natasha auditioned for a spot on the show in 2016; singing a rendition of "Can't Help Falling In Love With You," Natasha was placed on Adam's team. The Maroon 5 frontman promised to help the teenager with her attitude and self-confidence, but he was forced to eliminate her during the knockout round.
Six years later, Natasha appeared on Olivia Jade Giannulli's Conversations With Olivia Jade podcast and admitted that she looks back on her NBC appearance with shame. Natasha told Olivia, who is the daughter of fellow Full House star Lori Loughlin, "I didn't even want to go on the show at all," and revealed that she was heavily influenced by her mother, who encouraged Natasha to continuously seize opportunities. "I think I did a terrible job …or think that's what I sound like compared to now," the now 23-year-old continued. "Now I'm mortified by [my appearance on the show.]"
The Voice, like American Idol, has retained its popularity for several reasons. Well-known celebrities as mentors are something that fans look forward to each season, especially as many only last for a short time. Blind auditions add to the excitement and are a good example of not judging a book by its cover. While some singers don't think highly of their appearances, it takes courage and strength to put yourself out there on national television. With a high production schedule, The Voice is known for producing two seasons a year; the upcoming season 22 will be the only round in 2022, however. Scheduled to premiere sometime this fall, NBC viewers still have months to go until the newest round of singers (and coaches) are introduced.
Sources: ET, Popdust, Conversations With Olivia Jade/Instagram
