The Voice: Battle of Champions is underway on the 2026 TV schedule, with Season 29 featuring just three coaches. Kelly Clarkson may have thought she was only going up against Adam Levine and John Legend, but she got quite the shock when Reba McEntire made a surprise appearance in the premiere. The queen of country popped in with an interesting message for this season’s contestants, and I can’t even believe she did her former daughter-in-law so dirty.
With no country music coach like Blake Shelton or Reba McEntire on this season’s panel, Kelly Clarkson admitted that she felt entitled to country artists like 19-year-old Julia Golden, who impressed both Clarkson and John Legend with her rendition of “Strawberry Wine.” Legend may not be as closely associated with the genre as his Texas-native colleague, but he sure did have a secret weapon. None other than McEntire herself popped up on the screen to deliver the following video message:
