It's official! Gwen Stefani
is heading to The Voice! The No Doubt singer will join the
seventh season of NBC's popular singing competition series in the fall,
alongside new coach Pharrell Williams and Voice veterans
Adam
Levine and Blake Shelton.
NBC's official Stefani announcement comes more than a
week after news leaked that the singer was in early talks to replace Christina
Aguilera's spot on the docket. It's believed that Stefani was
debating between Voice and ABC’s Rising Star, which has a summer premiere.
Reports had circulated in February that Aguilera was expecting her second
child, though NBC announced that she will be back for the eighth season -
likely airing in the spring.
"Before we start the show, I want to make a very,
very big announcement for us here - hold on, listen! This all just happened
moments ago because we're live, and we're very happy to officially announce
that two superstars will be joining the next season in these coaches' chairs:
Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani will be added to the Voice family," said Carson Daly
at the beginning of Tuesday night's episode. "We're so happy to have them join our
ever-growing Voice family. They're both incredible people,
insanely talented."
As a way to introduce the new coaches, Williams will
perform new G I R L single
"Come Get It Bae," while Stefani will take the stage for
"Hollaback Girl," produced by Williams, on the live May 5 telecast.
Stefani has sold nearly 30 million records worldwide as
the lead singer of rock band No Doubt and also as a solo artist. No Doubt's five albums have produced No. 1
hits like "Don't Speak," "Just a Girl," "Hey
Baby" and "Underneath It All."
In addition to her music career, Stefani has her hand in the fashion
industry with L.A.M.B., launched in 2003, and Harajuki Lovers, launched in
2005. She also recently launched a ready-to-wear line that started in February
and Gx, featuring affordably priced accessories that began in March.
Stefani is the latest A-list talent to sign on for The Voice, which boasts a slate
of guest mentors that has included Miranda Lambert, Aloe Blacc, Jill Scott, The
Band Perry and Coldplay's Chris Martin as universal guest
mentor. Most recently, Monday’s episode featured
industry guest mentorship for the first time: producers Busbee, Scott
Hendricks and Natural, and Levine's own mentor,
Crosby, Stills and Nash's Graham Nash.
The Voice is presented by Burnett’s One Three
Inc., Talpa Media USA Inc. and Warner Horizon Television. The series was
created by John de Mol, who serves as executive producer along with
Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Stijn Bakkers and Lee Metzger.
By: Philiana Ng and
Ashley Lee of THR
