Reba McEntire Makes ‘The Voice’ History as She did something unprecedented

Reba McEntire Makes ‘The Voice’ History After a Wild Morgan Wallen Cover [Watch]

After a country contestant failed to score any chair turns during The Voice‘s latest batch of Blind Auditions, Reba McEntire did something unprecedented to make sure he wound up on her team.

37-year-old Kendall Eugene came to The Voice‘s Season 26 premiere with a cover of Morgan Wallen’s ballad “Don’t Think Jesus,” and after he finished the song, coaches Gwen Stefani and Michael Bublé were complimentary, explaining that a few issues involving vocal intonation and range were the reasons why they didn’t turn their chairs.

But when it came time for McEntire to say her piece, she realized she didn’t know exactly why she didn’t turn during his performance.

“Your style is totally different than anything we’ve heard today. I liked everything about it,” she said.

“You should’ve turned,” Eugene replied. “I was gonna say that exact same words,” McEntire agreed.

But, fortunately for McEntire and Eugene, this season of The Voice includes a new feature called the Coach Replay button, which offers each coach one chance to go back and change their mind after a performance. McEntire decided to use hers right there and then, to turn back the clock and secure Eugene to her team.

“I love that song that Kendall was singing, and after the song was over, I felt kind of numb. And in my heart, I wanted him on my team,” she explained after the fact, adding that the Replay Button was “the second chance for the coaches when we realize we missed this moment.”

Eugene broke down in tears when he realized what McEntire was doing, and he wasn’t the only one: Coach Gwen Stefani looked a little misty-eyed, and coach Snoop Dogg buried his head in his hands, briefly overcome by emotion.

“Go give that man a hug! He needs a hug, Reba,” Snoop said in the aftermath of the emotional moment. McEntire walked up to the contestant, saying “I believe in you” as she wrapped him in a hug.

Season 26 of The Voice kicked off on Monday (Sept. 23). The show airs on NBC.

What Happened To the Cast of ‘Reba’?

See the cast of Reba McEntire’s TV show Reba, then and now with updates on where each of the primary actors ended up.

2024 update: Several producers and at least two stars are teaming up for a new NBC sitcom called Happy’s Place in 2024. McEntire is the star of the show.