Reba McEntire is one of the few stars who fans call by her first name — simply because, she’s a country icon with a storied resume. Therefore, she’s entitled to turn down a few gigs here and there. But, there’s one job Reba previously declined that she’s admittedly feeling regretful over. — The Voice
The country music legend, 65, appeared on the November 10 episode of Watch What Happens Live, where she confirmed a longstanding rumor that she was asked to be an original coach on the singing competition show. — A seat that was eventually offered to fellow country singer Blake Shelton, after she turned it down.
“It is very true,” Reba confirmed of an original offer to be a coach on The Voice. “It was a very popular show in Holland, I’m pretty sure, and I watched the tape, and I said, ‘No, I’m going to pass on that,’ because I don’t think I could ever be able to tell somebody that they’re terrible or go find another job or hope you like your nighttime job,'” she recalled, explaining, “I couldn’t do that day in and day out. I just couldn’t do it. So I did pass on it.”
Reba went on to praise Blake, who she said “was the perfect choice” for the gig, which he still holds to this day. “He’s done a wonderful job,” she said of the original coach, whose fame only skyrocketed as a result of being on the hit NBC series.
WWHL host, Andy Cohen followed up with, “Now that you’ve seen the show, do you think, ‘Oh, maybe I’ve overestimated the criticism that I would have to give?'” — to which Reba replied, “Oh sure! I mean, after you see a very successful show that’s been running, what, 15 years? Uh, yeah!” she joked, adding, “Like shoot, I should have done that.”
Despite turning down an original red chair on The Voice, Reba has appeared on the show alongside Blake. In 2011, she served as a mentor on Team Blake — and Reba’s since returned as a celebrity mentor, in which she’s helped the coaches guide their team’s artists.
Ironically, this isn’t the first gig Reba’s turned down, and we’re sure it’s not the last. Interestingly enough, during a February 2019 appearance on WWHL, Reba revealed that she had originally been offered Kathy Bates‘ role in the 1997 Oscar-winning film, Titanic. However, Reba explained that she had to decline the role due to scheduling conflicts.
Meanwhile, Blake is the only remaining original coach on The Voice. And, just think — if Reba didn’t turn down the gig, Blake most likely wouldn’t have met and later fell in love with his current fiancee, Gwen Stefani. The couple announced their engagement at the end of October after five years of dating. Isn’t is funny how life works out?
Fans can catch Reba when she hosts the 54th Annual CMA Awards with Darius Rucker on Wednesday, November 11, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Be sure to check back at HollywoodLife for the best music coverage from one of country’s biggest nights!