The Voice’s 5 biggest scandals including a secret on-set romance, feuds and disgraced coach’s drug charges

WHEN The Voice kicks off its 23rd season on Monday, it will look drastically different.
The NBC hit, which has survived judge feuds, fights, and felonies, continues to draw fans.

Blake Shelton found love with Gwen Stefani on The VoiceCredit: INSTAGRAM/gwenstefani

Adam Levine found himself at odds with BlakeCredit: Getty
The singing competition has seen a number of celebrities sit in the famed four red chairs since its premiere in 2011.
Last season’s crew included returning judges Blake Shelton, John Legend, along with newbie Camila Cabello and alum Gwen Stefani, who last coached on season 19.
And once again, this season will see another round of musical chairs, as Grammy Award-winning hip-hop star Chance the Rapper and platinum-selling singer-songwriter Niall Horan join Blake and returning former coach Kelly Clarkson.
The Voice has seen quite a number of celebrities grace the panel of coaches, including CeeLo Green, Shakira, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, as well as Nick Jonas and many others.

All those egos can often lead to fractions among friends and controversies among competitors.
Take a look back at the top five biggest scandals on The Voice.
BLAKE LOVES GWEN

Blake and Gwen were married in 2021Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Perhaps the show’s biggest scandal actually resulted in a happy ending.
Creating the ultimate conflict of interest, Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton shocked the world after they began dating in 2015.
At the time, each of them was in a respective relationship; however, those separate relationships ended in divorce, enabling the two to date each other.

“If you had told me that that’s who I’m gonna end up with, I would have thought you were crazy,” Blake told Rolling Stone in 2016.
“But she became my closest ally,” he added.
Previously, Blake was married to country icon Miranda Lambert and Kaynette Williams.
Gwen was also in a previous marriage to Gavin Rossdale, which lasted from 2002 to 2016.
She said yes to the country legend after he proposed on October 27, 2020, while in Oklahoma.

At the time, Blake shared on social media: “Hey Gwen, thanks for saving my 2020… And the rest of my life.. I love you. I heard a YES!”
Less than a year later, on July 3, 2021, the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at his Oklahoma ranch.
BLAKE HATES ADAM

Blake and Adam went from friends to enemiesCredit: Getty
Blake is the only judge to be featured in all 23 seasons of The Voice.
However, this is Blake’s last season with the hit reality competition program.

On October 11, 2022, the country music star took to Instagram to announce his decision to leave the series.
At the time, he revealed: “I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after next season.”
He also spent years wrestling with fellow judge Adam Levine.
What started as a friendly joke of a feud between the two on-camera turned serious at some point off-camera, and the former friends became bitter enemies.
Adam wasn’t even invited to Blake and Gwen’s wedding.
Instead, the Maroon 5 frontman learned the couple had said “I do” online.

A source told Radar: “Adam had no idea when Gwen and Blake were going to get married.
“Adam wasn’t invited to the wedding and was not given the heads up despite the fact that Blake and Adam used to be as close as brothers when they were both on The Voice together.”
But other Voice members were.
Show host Carson Daly even officiated Gwen and Blake’s nuptials.
CEELO GREEN

CeeLo Green was not welcomed back to the showCredit: Getty
Forget You singer CeeLo Green would probably like to forget his time on The Voice.
CeeLo appeared on four seasons of the show, from 2011 to 2013.
But in 2012, the singer faced date-rape allegations after a 33-year-old woman, who said she woke up naked in his bed, accused him of putting drugs in her drink.

Two years later, CeeLo pleaded no contest to one felony count of furnishing ecstasy and was sentenced to three years of formal probation.
When NBC announced his return in 2018 as a mentor for Adam Levine’s team, people on social media were quick to point out his problematic past.
“NO! Disappointing & upsetting that (Adam Levine) chose a man who drugged & sexually assaulted a woman, jokes about it & doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘consent’ or respect!” one person slammed on Twitter. “Not someone who ever should mentor.”
Another added: “On what planet would anyone be excited to see CeeLo Green? Bad move, NBC.”

CHRISTINA AGUILERA

Christina Aguilera doesn’t want The Voice anymoreCredit: Getty
Original judge Christina Aguilera let her personal genie out of a bottle when she slammed the show after leaving it.
The singer was a coach during season one, and stayed on for five more seasons between 2011 and 2016.
But in 2018, Christina bashed the reality show in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“It became something that I didn’t feel was what I had signed up for in season one,” she said. “You realize it’s not about music. It’s about making good TV moments and massaging a story.

“I didn’t get into this business to be a television show host and to be given all these [rules],” she continued. “Especially as a female: You can’t wear this, can’t say that. I would find myself on that show desperately trying to express myself through clothing or makeup or hair. It was my only kind of outlet.”
Christina confessed the only reason she even stayed with the show was because she was comfortable and for the sake of her kids.
RYAN GALLAGHER

Ryan Gallagher was kicked off the showCredit: Getty
Not every scandal involved the judges. Sometimes, the competitors themselves caused the controversy.
In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Ryan Gallagher was kicked off the show for “breaking Covid-19 protocols.”

The classically trained singer was reportedly axed to keep the celebrity judges, crew, and fellow competitors safe.
Ryan “broke The Voice’s strict Covid-19 protocols and therefore wasn’t allowed to continue in the competition out of concern for keeping the coaches, crew and fellow competitors safe,” a source told ET Online.
It is not known exactly how the Michigan native defied safety regulations.
The vocalist – whose coach was Kelly Clarkson – was one of the hopefuls in the four-way knockout.

He had been representing Kelly’s team in the battle for the final spot in the top 17.
Michael Catalano, the singer’s personal manager, told People at the time nothing could be further from the truth.
“In fact, recently Ryan’s mother in Michigan was hospitalized with Covid 19 and was in ICU for three weeks. It was a scary time for Ryan and his family and he certainly would not knowingly put anyone at risk by not adhering to the show’s Covid 19 policy.”
Michael added: “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 will respond to these damaging allegations.

“Ryan, whose performing career began at age fifteen as a backup singer for Josh Groban in Michigan, has been devastated by the show’s dismissal. A career as a singer/performer has been his life-long dream.”