The *Real* Reason Dan + Shay Are Out After Just One Season on The Voice

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Dan + Shay made history as the first-ever coaching duo on The Voice, but after only one season, the country artists have decided to exit the show. Keep reading to see why Dan + Shay are leaving The Voice and who’s replacing them.

Why are Dan + Shay leaving The Voice?

The Grammy-winning duo of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney came on board for Season 25 of NBC’s The Voice, taking their seats in the show’s first double chair. They were joined by returning coaches John Legend, Chance The Rapper and Reba McEntire, marking the first time the panel had featured more than one country artist. As the only newcomers, the duo definitely felt some pressure, but they had a pretty successful first run. Team Dan + Shay team led the competition in the first half, with three members making it to the semi-finals, and the duo had one artist — Karen Waldrup — in the final.

Despite seemingly enjoying their time on the show, news broke ahead of the Season 25 finale that Dan + Shay will not be returning next year. Chance The Rapper and John Legend are also exiting, and the three open spots will be filled by returning coach Gwen Stefani, as well as first-time coaches Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé.

The duo’s exit comes not long after they extended their Heartbreak On The Map tour well into the fall of 2024. While speaking to Entertainment Tonight before the Season 25 finale, the “Tequila” singers revealed that their touring schedule is the main reason they’re not returning. “We’re touring a lot this year, which we’re really excited about, but obviously doesn’t allow us to come back,” Mooney said. Smyers added that being on The Voice was “one of the most fun things,” they had done in their career. ” He continued: “This was an experience we never even had on our bingo card, but what an amazing honor … Of all the artists they could have chosen, they chose us.”

Dan + Shay aren’t ruling out coming back to the show in the future, though. “I think that would be a blast if they would have us. We would love to see what that looks like,” Mooney told the outlet, adding jokingly: “They built the chair and invested a lot of money in that so hopefully we get invited back, we’ll see.”

Fellow Season 25 coach John Legend is leaving the show for the same reason and doesn’t plan on staying away for good, either. “We’ve always got so many things going on. I’ll be doing a lot of shows this summer and traveling overseas this summer,” he told ET of his upcoming tour, An Evening With John Legend. He added: “I’ll be back… If only I were actually going to take a break!”

The series has allowed a handful of coaches to take a season or two off, including Season 26’s Stefani, who is coming back for her eighth non-consecutive season. Legend is a shoo-in to get invited back when he’s ready, but Dan + Shay’s return will depend on how much the audience liked them as coaches. While fans enjoyed the double chair aspect, a few felt that having multiple country artists on the panel was overwhelming and unfair for contestants of other genres. “How much country do we really need on this show? Damn it’s becoming overwhelming,” one fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter) early on in the season. “WHO tf thought it was a good idea to have 3 country judges? #TheVoice,” another fan wrote.

Unless McEntire were to exit, it’s possible that Dan + Shay won’t get asked back for a while. In fact, the diversity of the Season 26 panel could be a response to some of the backlash, as it features a country, pop, jazz and rap artist.

The Voice is available to stream on Peacock.