Is ‘The Voice’ biased? One elimination was so controversial, even John Legend couldn’t help but weigh in

Michael Bublé, Kelsea Ballerini, John Legend, and Adam Levine in a still from ‘The Voice’ season 27 (Cover image source: Instagram | @nbcthevoice)

Over the course of its 27 seasons, ‘The Voice’ has opened doors to many talented contestants. While every season of the show is celebrated for its unique blind auditions and playful banter between the coaches, nothing comes close to the controversy that surrounded ‘The Voice’ season 22’s semi-finals. The particular episode had controversial eliminations, which made fans so furious that they couldn’t help but question the legitimacy of the voting system, making it one of the most controversial moments in television history.

 

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John Legend, Carson Daly, Michael Buble, Kelsea Ballerini, and Adam Levine ‘The Voice’ 2025 (Image Source: Instagram| @nbcthevoice)
 

In the semi-finals of ‘The Voice’ Season 22, controversy erupted after all four finalists, three from Blake Shelton’s team and one from Camila Cabello’s, were white, while all contestants of color, including those from John Legend’s and Gwen Stefani’s teams, were eliminated. This sparked accusations of racial bias in the public voting process, with fans and media suggesting that visual identity may have outweighed vocal talent in determining the results, as per Collider.

Coach Legend, visibly shocked by the results, didn’t hold back in expressing his disappointment and hinted that race may have played a role in the outcome. Sharing on social media, he wrote, “I love coaching on @nbcthevoice because I get the honor of working with truly special artists who inspire me so much … It was disappointing and mystifying to watch all 3 Team Legend artists and @jaaron_88 have to fight for one remaining spot in the finale.”

Fans of ‘The Voice’ were left furious, as many shared their opinion on X. A fan shared, “Yeah no I’m done. Wtf is THIS?? You see what I see?” while another said, “Why are the best singers at the bottom for votes? There’s no comparison. Kim and Parajita were amazing!” Meanwhile, another noted, “All the minorities in the bottom 4… hmmmm.” Another viewer remarked, “This is unacceptable man! This goes to shoe how America really works.” A fan shared, “This is absolutely the most disgusting display of bias I have ever seen. This show is completely rigged. It should change it’s name from the Voice to the the Noise! People voting on the coaches not the singers. Disgusting really.”

This is not the only time when ‘The Voice’ faced public scrutiny. When Olympian Simone Biles was recruited as a playoff advisor on the show. The 11-time Olympic medalist joined Team Snoop to help mentor his group of vocalists. Biles was joined by other celebrity advisors, like country stars Lainey Wilson and Carly Pearce. With no background in singing, Biles’ role raised eyebrows among some viewers. Still, Biles seemed eager and supportive, bringing encouragement and motivation rather than technical notes. It’s clear her presence is less about vocal range and more about mindset—though the internet remains divided on whether that’s enough, per Chron.

In an interview with the Associated Press ahead of his ‘The Voice’ episode, coach Snoop Dogg explained why he chose Biles as his playoff advisor, revealing their bond formed during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The rapper said, “We have such diverse careers. But the things that we dealt with, they’re dealing with now,” Snoop shared. “We have the best experience and knowledge to give to these performers. She’s a performer. I’m a performer. We’ve performed under extreme conditions. We always do our best. But sometimes things happen behind closed doors that you don’t know about. So we’re able to speak to those things and give them real reassurance.”