How THAT Happy’s Place Finale Scene Sets Up A Key Season 2 Arc Explained By Showrunner

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for the season 1 finale of Happy’s Place.

After eighteen episodes, NBC’s Happy’s Place wrapped up its first season on Friday, March 21 at 8 p.m. ET. The finale’s official synopsis reads: “When Isabella requests Emmett’s help getting a security system installed, Bobbie claims she can protect her sister better than any alarm or man, leading to Bobbie and Emmett having a competition over who’s the better protector.” However, it doesn’t take long for Isabella to realize that the two are trying to repress their feelings for one another.

In a comedic turn of events, viewers learn that the bar staff has been trying to keep Bobbie and Emmett apart for the last decade. Isabella forces them together during a showdown at the arcade, leading the duo to become aware of their obvious sparks. While Bobbie and Emmett aren’t quite ready to take the next step, “Alarm Bells” concludes on a hopeful note. In lieu of a home security system, the cook asks Bobbie if he can check in on her for his own peace of mind.

ScreenRant interviews co-creator, showrunner, and executive producer Kevin Abbott about what that ending scene means for Bobbie and Emmett. He also discusses which guest stars will return to the series and what fans can expect now that Happy’s Place has been renewed for season 2.

Abbott Has Always Wanted To Give Reba’s Character A Satisfying Love Story

“That’s the one thing that never popped. The chemistry wasn’t working.”

ScreenRant: The finale focused on Bobbie and Emmett’s feelings for each other. How early on in the creative process did you realize that was the direction you wanted to take with these characters?

Kevin Abbott: It was always a possibility that those two would be love interests, before we had Rex in the breaking of the story and everything. That was always a potential love interest. With the old Reba show, the one area that we just never did well was the love interest for the old Reba character. I’m sure I am much harsher on it than the audience, but for me, it was always like, “Eh, I don’t buy it. I don’t believe it at all.”

And we tried it a couple of times, and it just never worked for me. So I’ve always kind of wanted to be able to tell some of those stories with Reba. She can do almost anything. That’s the one thing that never popped. The chemistry wasn’t working. So then when we brought Rex on, I thought, “Well, maybe this is the key. Maybe she’s got to actually be attracted to this guy.” Because the one person she had a little spark with was James Denton.

She was a little attracted to James Denton. Rex and she, I don’t know how you felt, but that moment in the pilot, I just loved that. It just tickled me. I had such a good time watching it. That has been in the works. The season 1 finale, if I’d known and could plan out the entire thing, would’ve been in a different place. There’d be more to this. But because we didn’t get the pick-up until later on, I didn’t know how many episodes we were going to have.

I couldn’t plan out all the steps to get to where I originally wanted to go. So this is earlier on in this entire arc. We’re going to go to more places that I know of already, but the two of them have been great. That’s a minefield you wouldn’t necessarily walk into willingly, but it’s been great so far.

Bobbie and Emmett are still not together at the end of the finale. Would you say there’s been an acknowledgment of feelings on both sides?

Kevin Abbott: Yeah, what I’d like the audience to walk away with, what I hope they do, is that we know that they both have feelings for each other and that there’s a possibility there now. Nobody has said whether or not they’ve decided to overcome the possible negatives of being together and the risk that is being taken. But that’s what Isabella is there for—to push Bobbie and to push for love.

So hopefully what this does is promise something for season 2 that we’re going to be getting into, not just an episode about this, but it’ll be an arc. There’ll be a number of episodes that deal with this issue and to see where the two of them wind up because I’m kind of fascinated by it. Like I said, that was the one area that I really didn’t get to tell stories about in the original Reba—love interest stories. I’m really excited to see it. She’s charming. She’s absolutely charming when she plays in love. How can you not love her?

Isabella’s Role Is To Open Bobbie Up To Possibilities

“This is the honeymoon period when Bobbie and Isabella both want to have a sister and make it work.”

Gabby and Steve have been trying to keep Bobbie and Emmett apart for 10 years. Going back to what you said before, why was it important for Isabella to bring them together?

Kevin Abbott: One of the things I thought was interesting about telling this story, and obviously TV’s done this a lot, but because it’s interesting, people in love are interesting, I really liked the scene where we find out that the rest of the people in the bar have been keeping them apart because there’s a huge downside. What you don’t hear a lot of in these relationship things is, “Well, what’s the downside if they actually have a relationship?” There’s a huge risk for everybody else involved.

So I like that notion because that’s there. I think that having Isabella do it, her role in the show really is to open up Bobbie to possibilities. One of the reasons Happy did this, that we will find out, is he did have a plan. He didn’t just stick them together. Bobbie has a tendency to close down. When she lost her husband, Travis, she kind of closed down. That’s why he brought her to start working in the bar—to keep her open.When he passed away, he knew that she’d need somebody to help keep her open to life and open to possibilities. And that’s Isabella.

What Bobbie brings to Isabella is foundational strength. You have a home, you have people you can come to when you need it. So the two of them feed each other, hopefully, in positive ways. And it also will put Isabella a little bit more at odds with some of the people in the bar. One of the things we wanted to do this season was make certain that the audience grew to really care for Isabella, as well. That she’s a part of this before we start causing a lot of problems.

This is the honeymoon period. This is the honeymoon period when Bobbie and Isabella both want to have a sister and make it work. Now we’re going to get into the marriage part of it. Maybe it’s a little bit more work. There’s a little bit more things. The little things start to bug you a little bit more. So I think that’s where we’re going to be heading with all of this, so that Isabella having something that she feels really strongly about, that the people in the bar feel differently about it. I think it’s an interesting dynamic that I want to get to in season 2.

In that same vein, with Bobbie and Isabella being at odds in the pilot, was there a specific place you wanted them to land by the end of season 1?

Kevin Abbott: Originally, I had that dynamic working a little bit differently. People love Reba, for whatever reason. I don’t know. I don’t get it. But they love her, and they don’t like people that she doesn’t like. [Laughs] I used to tell her that you could punch a nun in the throat, and people would say that the sister had it coming. That’s who Reba is.

So I changed my mind and went, “Okay, I want to make certain that they’re bonded first. That the audience knows that Reba loves this character before we get into some of the difficulties.” Because otherwise, Isabella’s going to have a really hard time winning the audience over. So that’s what the plan became. We’re going to bond them quicker upfront and then play with it more on the backend, versus having them be at odds more upfront and then having them grow gradually closer together.

That became the arc on that. I think it’s correct. Now, we can start to have a little bit more conflict between the two of them because I think that the essence of the relationship is set. She’s not just going to leave. Isabelle’s not just going to go home again. She’s going to stick around—that she’s found a place. So we want to make certain that she was planted before we started digging at the roots of this stuff.

Abbott Plans To Bring Maritza And Gracie Back For Happy’s Place Season 2

“Their chemistry with our cast was marvelous, and the backstory behind them is going to be really interesting.”

I loved meeting Bobbie’s daughter, played by Emma Kenney. Could she return in season 2?

Kevin Abbott: Yeah, absolutely. Season 1, I wanted to keep the guest cast small. There’s only so much real estate for our characters, and I wanted our characters to have all the dialogue and whatnot, so I wanted the audience to get to know them. Season 2, we get to branch out a little bit more, and we saw Maritza, we saw Isabelle’s mom, we saw Gracie, Bobbie’s daughter, we saw Steve, we saw Chris.

Those two, especially Maritza and Gracie, are going to come back because I love the actresses. They were phenomenal. Their chemistry with our cast was marvelous, and the backstory behind them is going to be really interesting. I think there are stories to be told between Maritza and Bobbie and Gracie and Isabella. We plan on having them back. We plan on having a couple of other guest cast hopefully too, if they pan out. Some fun people to explore other areas of our characters’ lives.

Was there a specific plotline you wanted to fit into season 1 that you weren’t able to do in these 18 episodes?

Kevin Abbott: Yeah. It was going to be the season finale if I had time to lay it in. There are two plotlines that I wanted to do that I wasn’t able to do, both along the Bobbie and Emmett arc. I’m not going to give it away because I’m going to do them in season 2, but they’re surprising. They’re very surprising, I think.

I don’t think the audience is going to see it coming, but I really like them. I really like them. We also wanted to do a Dios de los Muertos episode that was really interesting as well. Maybe we can do it this year, but we couldn’t do it in time for actual Dios de los Muertos, so it would’ve seemed odd doing it otherwise. Maybe next year we’ll do that one.

Where are you in terms of writing season 2? Do you have a filming window?

Kevin Abbott: So season 2, we’re actually starting up early. We’ll probably start pre-production mid-April because of Reba’s schedule on The Voice. We have to work around that. So we will start shooting again beginning of June. We do have leftover ideas from what would’ve been season 1 that we didn’t get to. So we definitely have those, and I’ll start up with the writers next week.

We’ve got a couple of new writers coming on, so I want to be open to any ideas that they might have to take these characters places. And I’d like to take a week or two off just to let my brain rest from living with these people. They’re noisy. But I have a lot more energy for season 2 already than I would normally have at the end of a season. And really, this cast has been marvelous. It’s been a fun season doing this show with these guys.

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About Happy’s Place Season 1 On NBC

Writer Kevin Abbott Executive Produces With Reba McEntire, Michael Hanel, Mindy Schultheis, Matt Berry And Pamela Fryman

Happy’s Place is a TV show that follows the story of Happy, a charismatic and enigmatic figure who runs a mysterious establishment where individuals can come to escape their troubles. As Happy’s Place gains popularity, its patrons must navigate the blurred lines between reality and fantasy, leading to unexpected consequences.

“Reba Is Beloved, and Justifiably So”: ‘Happy’s Place’ Co-Creator Explains Season 1 Finale and Teases Season 2

Happy’s Place co-creator, Kevin Abbott, is a fan of a good old-fashioned slow burn. During the first season, which celebrated its finale on Friday, audiences watched as Reba McEntire’s Bobbie moved back to Knoxville, Tennessee to take over the titular bar that she inherited from her father. There were plenty of surprises along the way for Bobbie — the main one being her first meeting with a much younger half-sister (Belissa Escobedo) who she didn’t know about.

As Bobbie settled into her new life, it certainly seemed like a relationship was beginning to blossom between her and the bar’s cook, Emmett (Rex Linn). But, now that we’ve seen the Season 1 finale, we can officially say that — despite the shipping of fans — Bobbie and Emmett didn’t take that plunge towards romance. However, Abbott is here to tell audiences not to fear and that it’s all in the cards — he just didn’t want to rush a good build.

Speaking with TV Line, Abbott said,

“That was the original intent — to actually have them a little bit further along than we did. That was an idea that I had from before we wrote the pilot, actually, but we didn’t go as far as that because of the scheduling. We only had 13 episodes originally ordered. We were putting some pieces in place just in case, but we didn’t know if we were going to get a back order, or how many [episodes] it was going to be if we did.”

‘Happy’s Place’ Hinges on Character Development

After the title landed a full-season order at the tail end of last year, Abbott knew there was time for the hopeful couple to build on an already solid foundation. Still, he didn’t want to rush things, so he hoped that NBC would renew the series for a second season — a wish that was answered last month. Now, with plenty of time on his hands to mold Emmett and Bobbie’s relationship, Abbott tells fans that it’s on the horizon, explaining,

“I don’t like to just jump into these things out of nowhere. I want to build to them so that, when they happen, it feels right. Ultimately, we got the pickup — a back five — after we’d wrapped the first 13. I just didn’t feel like I could successfully build the relationship to the point where I wanted it to be by the finale, so this is going to be something we’re going to get into next season. We can give the audience something to look forward to without taking it too quickly. When we get there, I want the audience to feel really satisfied.”

Season 1 of Happy’s Place is now streaming on Peacock.

ABC Renews ‘9-1-1,’ ‘The Rookie,’ ‘Shifting Gears’ & More, But ‘Doctor Odyssey’ Is Still on the Bubble

ABC Renews ‘9-1-1,’ ‘The Rookie,’ ‘Shifting Gears’ & More, But ‘Doctor Odyssey’ Is Still on the Bubble

Disney / ABC

ABC has given renewals to several of its current scripted shows … with one major exception.

The network has given pickups to 9-1-1, Grey’s Anatomy, The Rookie, Will Trent, and Shifting Gears, the latter of which was considered to be on the bubble as of a trade report from several days ago. These renewals add to the already-announced pickups of Abbott Elementary and High Potential.

Notably missing from the list of renewals is the freshman medical drama Doctor Odyssey, though it has not been formally canceled yet, according to Variety.

The network also isn’t giving orders to any new series pilots aside from the 9-1-1 spinoff 9-1-1: Nashville.

9-1-1 is currently airing its eighth season, which is its second on the network after moving from Fox. Meanwhile, Grey’s Anatomy is in its 21st season, Will Trent is airing its third season, The Rookie is in its seventh, and Shifting Gears just concluded its first season.

Doctor Odyssey fans took to social media to plead for more. “Please renew Doctor Odyssey so we can have 15 seasons of Ody3,” one fan wrote, invoking the ‘ship name for the lead trio of characters. “Doctor Odyssey pleeeaseeeee pull through, I need my throuple,” another wrote.

Reportedly, the hesitation on renewing Doctor Odyssey, which is, like 9-1-1, a part of the Ryan Murphy TV universe, is the expense of producing it. (The ratings reportedly remained relatively stable, with 5.96 million seven-day viewers for its September series premiere and 5.19 million as of March.)

Previously, Deadline revealed that renewal for the series was uncertain and the Season 1 finale is ending in a way that could serve as a series finale, just in case.

Meanwhile, Shifting Gears was not a lock for Season 2 after a drop in viewership following the premiere (from 7.8 million viewers in seven-day ratings for the January premiere to 5.17 million in March).

‘Shifting Gears’ Press Event In Burbank Postponed Due To Fires

Story Arc
From left: ‘Shifting Gears’ stars Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Seann William Scott, Maxwell Simkins, Barrett Margolis, Tim Allen, Kat Dennings Disney/Justin Stephens

A press event that was planned to help kick off tonight’s debut of ABC‘s Shifting Gears has been postponed.

The event was set to take place on Stage 6 on the Walt Disney Studio Lot. All the stars were set to participate in the two-hour affair, including Tim Allen, Kat Dennings, Daryl Mitchell, Sean William Scott, Maxwell Simkins, Barrett Margolis and Jenna Elfman.

The multi-cam features Allen as a stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop who begrudgingly allows his daughter and grandkids to move into his house. The ABC series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

The press event was the latest to be shuttered in light of the devastation in the Palisades and Altadena. Late Tuesday, the decision was made to cancel tonight’s red carpet premiere for The Pitt. 

The event was to take place at the Pacific Design Center Wednesday night, with the cast, led by star/executive producer Noah Wyle, scheduled to attend along with executive producers John Wells and R. Scott Gemmill, who serves as showrunner.

Watch on Deadline

Also on Tuesday night, Paramount cancelled their Wednesday night LA premiere for the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, while the SAG Awards called off their in-person nominations announcement, set for this morning.

Earlier on Tuesday, Universal pulled the plug on their world premiere for the Blumhouse horror film Wolf Man and Amazon nixed their LA premiere for the Jennifer Lopez feature Unstoppable. Both events were slated to take place Tuesday night.

‘Shifting Gears’ Reunites Tim Allen With Former Sitcom Wives Patricia Richardson and Nancy Travis

Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, Nancy Travis. Everett Collection (2)

Shifting Gears is reuniting Tim Allen with two of his former sitcom wives: Home Improvement‘s Patricia Richardson and Last Man Standing‘s Nancy Travis.

Deadline confirmed on Tuesday, August 19, that season 2 will feature appearances from Richardson, 74, Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning after they worked with Allen, 72, on Home Improvement. Travis, 63, is returning to the show after playing Charlotte in season 1, which reunited her with Allen after Last Man Standing.

Richardson, Karn, 69, and Dunning, 59, are set to appear in the October 1 premiere to support Allen’s character Matt in an “unexpected way.” The sitcom legend has often recruited costars from his previous projects to make guest appearances on Shifting Gears after the show premiered on ABC in February.

Allen got his start as a comedian in the ’70s. He made his foray into acting with his role as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on ABC’s Home Improvement, which scored him a Golden Globe Award. The sitcom, which ran from 1991 to 1999, made Allen a household name.

The actor continued to find success playing America’s favorite TV dad as Mike Baxter on Last Man Standing from 2011 to 2021. After Last Man Standing ended, the actor waited four years before returning to sitcoms Shifting Gears.

Tim Allen and Nancy Travis. Disney/Raymond Liu
“It was a complicated decision. I was doing Disney+’s Santa Claus series at the time and I said, ‘I really can’t think about this now,’” he exclusively told Us Weekly in January. “Do I want to do linear TV? I was so depressed at how streaming has hurt television. So if I did it, I want to elevate it.”

Allen reflected on his past experience on the small screen, saying, “I’ve done Mike Baxter [on Last Man Standing] and Tim Taylor [on Home Improvement]. So if I do this again, I pitched three things: I want a guy that lost his wife recently, so he’s dealing with grief; I want a guy with the family that doesn’t get along; And then he has a custom car shop.”

At the time, Allen was thrilled to play a character who was “not like the other guys.”

“He’s more like me. I’m more of an artist. I was a design student and a philosopher and my standup comedy is really about messing with people in a good way,” he noted. “I came from a huge family run by women. So my perspective is very different about men. I don’t think we run things. So I want this to be that guy. He’s not a man’s man in that term, and he wasn’t trying to be anything but what he does.”

Shifting Gears returns to ABC on Wednesday, October 1, at 8 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Hulu.

‘Home Improvement’ Reunion Set For ‘Shifting Gears’ Season 2 Premiere: Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn & Debbe Dunning To Appear

L to R: Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning Getty, Courtesy

Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and Debbe Dunning will guest star alongside their former co-star, Tim Allen, who stars and executive produces Shifting Gears. The trio will appear in the Season 2 premiere, airing on Wednesday, October 1. Their characters will support Allen’s character, Matt Parker, in an unexpected way. Details regarding who they will play are under wraps.

Going into its sophomore season, Shifting Gears follows Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.

In addition to Allen and Dennings, the sitcom also stars Seann William Scott as Gabriel, Daryl Chill Mitchell as Stitch, Maxwell Simkins as Carter, and Barrett Margolis as Georgia. Nancy Travis and Jenna Elfman will also return as guest stars this season.

Watch on Deadline

 

Patricia Richardson and Tim Allen in ABC’s ‘Home Improvement’ Mario Casilli/TV Guide/©Touchstone Television via Everett Collection

Home Improvement ran on ABC for eight seasons from 1991-99, with Allen leading the series as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, later taking on EP duties during the show’s final two seasons. Richardson played Tim’s wife, Jill Taylor, and the mother of their three sons: Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Mark (Taran Noah Smith). She also supported Allen by appearing twice as Helen Potts in a different ABC series, Last Man Standing. She is repped by Vanguard Management.

Karn played Al Borland, Tim’s friend and the co-host of his home improvement show, Tool Time. Both Richardson and Karn appeared in all eight seasons of Home Improvement. Like Richardson, Karn appeared twice on Last Man Standing, in the role of Bill McKendree. He and Allen also co-hosted two History Channel shows: the reality competition series Assembly Required and, later, More Power, where they discussed the history of tools. Karn is repped by Wright Entertainment, Inc., and Mavrick Agency.

Dunning portrayed Heidi, the show within a show’s model, from seasons 3 to 8, following Pamela Anderson’s time as Lisa.

From left: Richard Karn, Debbe Dunning and Tim Allen in ABC’s ‘Home Improvement’ Gene Trindl/©Touchstone Television via Everett Collection

Allen executive produces Shifting Gears alongside Michelle Nader, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Richard Baker, Rick Messina, John Pasquin, Jim Patterson, Bob Daily, and John Amodeo. Dennings is a producer on the ABC series, which is produced by 20th Television.

John Legend Teases His Future on The Voice

John Legend is taking a break from NBC’s The Voice. But as he exclusively told E! News correspondent Courtney Lopez ahead of the season 23 premiere, “I won’t be here this season, but I’ll be back.”

The new season—which premieres March 6—will see the return of coaches Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson, and will feature first-timers Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper.

Having previously appeared as a season 12 advisor, John joined The Voice as a coach for season 16 in 2019. And while the 12-time Grammy winner—who recently welcomed newborn daughter Esti with wife Chrissy Teigen—admitted he doesn’t know how much longer he plans to keep his coaching position, he told E! News, “It’s amazing that any show lasts as long as The Voice has lasted, and I’m proud to be part of the legacy of the show.”

Season 23 will also mark Blake’s last as a coach, as he has appeared on every season of The Voice since its premiere in 2011.

“I love Blake and just think he’s an amazing coach, but also an amazing person that I’ve really gotten to know over the years,” John said of the country star. “And hopefully, we can carry on the tradition after he leaves.”

While he has some time off from helping aspiring artists achieve their dreams, he’s fulfilling a dream of his own with his brand-new unisex skincare line Loved01. And in a market full of celebrity skincare brands, John wanted to focus on creating effective products for people of color.

Trae Patton/NBC

“Not only are we formulating our products with melanin-rich skin in mind, not only are we creating products that are beautiful, that will help you deeply care for yourself,” he told E! News, “but we wanna make it affordable so you can buy it at your local CVS or Walmart for 10 or 15 dollars. And so that’s what we created with Loved One and I’m really excited.”

John’s unisex skincare line Loved01 (@loved01skin) is available now on Loved01.com and at CVS stores nationwide and CVS.com.

E! News airs Mondays through Thursdays at 11 p.m. on E!. The Voice season 23 premieres Monday, March 6, at 8 p.m. on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.

Is Reba McEntire Leaving ‘The Voice’? The Truth Behind Why She Won’t Be a Season 29 Coach

The singer has a lot going on at the moment (including the hit sitcom Happy’s Place).

With The Voice season 26 about to come to a close and announce a new winner, a change is coming for the show that fans may be upset about.

Viewers of the NBC series are currently familiar with seeing Reba McEntire, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg and Michael Bublé assisting the aspiring artists as the official coaches of season 26. But as it turns out, Michael is the only one of the quartet staying for season 27 in 2025, with Kelsea Ballerini making her coaching debut and John Legend and Adam Levine returning as mentors. But what does this mean for Reba, specifically?

Well, we hate to break the hearts of those who love the series, but Reba McEntire is leaving The Voice for season 29. Even though there’s always a chance for her to return for future seasons, there may be one major reason behind her choice to exit.

NBC

As some may be aware, Reba is currently starring in her own sitcom on NBC titled Happy’s Place. Currently airing its inaugural season, the singer reunited with Reba co-star Melissa Peterman for the project and is also working alongside her boyfriend Rex Linn on the series. Even though she didn’t explicitly say this was the reason behind her leaving The Voice, a report from Variety on November 21 did confirm a major update about what’s next with the sitcom.

According to the outlet, Happy’s Place got picked up for five more episodes by NBC, taking the total episode number from 13 to 18 in season 1. The publication also wrote that since its premiere on October 18, the show has managed to attract 14 million viewers across multiple platforms. What’s more, its Friday night regular time slot “has improved … by 90% among total viewers and 88% in the key adults 18-49 demographic.” This means, Reba will likely spend some time filming new episodes while awaiting a season 2 pickup from NBC.

For those wondering what Happy’s Place is about, Reba plays a woman who inherits her late father’s tavern (appropriately called Happy’s Place) and discovers she has a brand-new business partner — a much younger half-sister Isabella (played by Belissa Escobedo), whom she never knew about.

While we’re happy for Reba’s success with Happy’s Place, we’re definitely going to miss her. After all, Reba has appeared on and off The Voice since the show’s first season back in 2011. She initially was an advisor for original coach Blake Shelton in the season 1 Battle rounds and was also an advisor for the Knockout rounds in seasons 8 and 23.

NBC

We look forward to (hopefully) seeing Reba on The Voice again soon!

How Blake Shelton Ex Miranda Lambert Is Reportedly Causing Trouble For Gwen Stefani

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

 

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton announced the end of their 4-year marriage in July 2015 through a statement shared with Us Weekly. Later in the year, Shelton started dating his fellow “The Voice” coach, Gwen Stefani, who had ended her nearly 13-year marriage to Gavin Rossdale in 2015. The “God’s Country” singer popped the question in October 2020, and they tied the knot in July 2021.And it appears Lambert is still not a fan of Stefani’s.

Before Shelton and Stefani started dating, it was hard to picture them together because their personalities were worlds apart. However, over the years, they’ve grown and changed together. One noticeable change in Stefani since dating Shelton is her willingness to try out country music after being a primarily pop artist, which has ruffled some feathers, with the most notable reportedly being Lambert. Since 2016, the “Hollaback Girl” hitmaker has collaborated with her husband on a handful of old-fashioned country songs and they continued their streak of releases in 2024 with “Purple Irises.”

In a press release shared by Today, the couple explained the idea behind the track. “‘Purple Irises’ is a song that comes from the idea that, when you plant something, you are planting hope and watching love grow, weathering all the different seasons of growth,” the release read. “We are in this together, we planted the seeds together and we are growing together.” While they are busy seemingly sowing the seeds of Stefani’s arrival into the country music industry, Lambert is reportedly trying her best to keep her away.

Miranda Lambert has reportedly bad mouthed Gwen Stefani to country music artists

Hollywood To You/star Max & Allen Berezovsky/Getty

 

In March 2023, an insider told RadarOnline that Miranda Lambert and her close friends, Ashley McBryde and Marren Morris, were trying their hardest to ensure Gwen Stefani knew she wasn’t welcome in the country music industry. “These country gals take offense that a pop star would have the gall to even want to be a country singer,” they dished. “They put in these subtle digs” like “making fun of Gwen’s singing, her bleach-blond hair, and overall style, which they think is tacky.”

According to the source, the three women were pulling a “Mean Girl-esque” move where they would subtly shade Stefani and speak negatively of her to other country artists. Luckily for the “Just A Girl” singer, she has a respected artist like Blake Shelton backing her. The confidant claimed that Shelton’s close group of country music friends had been warm and welcoming to his wife and had even offered to write a few songs to set her up for success.

However, another source told RadarOnline that Stefani and Shelton were at odds over the creative process of her country album. They claimed that the “Boys ‘Round Here” singer wanted to bring his expertise to the album-making process, but his wife didn’t appreciate his interference. The insider added that Shelton was hurt because he had helped her connect with big names in the industry, only to be left out of the process. Shelton reportedly felt she was out of her depth and didn’t want her first country project to be a failure.

The two women have supposedly shared a rollercoaster relationship

Tommaso Boddi/ama2015 & Taylor Hill/Getty

 

Miranda Lambert and Gwen Stefani’s relationship reportedly got off to a rocky start. Shortly after Stefani and Blake Shelton’s romance came to light in 2015, a source told E! that the news didn’t take Lambert by surprise because she felt the pair had always been overly friendly. However, a year later, another insider told E! that the “The Sweet Escape” singer and Lambert couldn’t help but commend each other’s talents.

They further noted that Stefani couldn’t be happier that Lambert had welcomed new love into her love with her now ex-boyfriend Anderson East. The confidant added that Stefani was a highly non-confrontational person so she looked forward to smooth sailing with Lambert from there on out. At the time, that seemed possible because the source revealed that the “Bluebird” songstress was equally chuffed about Stefani and Shelton’s thriving relationship. Unfortunately, it seems like time didn’t entirely heal Lambert’s wounds.

In 2017, an insider told Life & Style,”The cold-blooded way Blake blindsided her with divorce, drove her out of his life, and then shoved his romance with Gwen [Stefani] in her face is something that will scar her forever,” they continued. “It still burns her.” Lambert only seems to have publicly spoken about Stefani during her 2018 HITS Daily Double interview, where she shared that she once refused to continue an interview because the outlet seemed more interested in getting her to spill the beans about Stefani than her music.

‘The Voice’ Season 29: Premiere Date, Coaches, More Details

‘The Voice’ Season 29: Kelly Clarkson, John Legend & Adam Levine Returning, Special Format Details

Trae Patton/NBC (2); Lewis Jacobs/NBC/Courtesy: Everett Collection

The Voice concluded its 27th season in May and is already confirmed to be coming back for Season 28 in the fall of 2025. But can we expect more of the singing competition in the future?

On Tuesday, July 22, NBC set the coaching panel and released details about the special format for Season. 29. Scroll down for updates on everything we know about the future of The Voice.

Will The Voice return for Season 29?

Yes! While the July 22 announcement makes it official, it’s not too surprising given there were tickets available for Blind Audition tapings for the 29th season. Fans could apply for tickets to attend tapings on July 21, July 22, and July 23 in California. The same website also offered tickets to Season 28 Blind Audition tapings on July 7, July 8, July 9, and July 10.

Who are The Voice Season 29 coaches?

There will be three coaches for Season 29, which will feature a special format revamp (more on that below). Fan-favorites Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Adam Levine will reclaim their red chairs for Season 29. Clarkson will film The Voice and The Kelly Clarkson Show Season 7 concurrently through a coordinated filming schedule that has already been worked out between the two production teams.

Season 28 will feature Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg, and Michael Bublé as the coaches in the big red chairs. All four superstars have coached on the show in the past, but this is the first time this foursome will be on the panel all together.

What is new about The Voice Season 29’s format?

In a first for the hit competition, the upcoming cycle will be dubbed The Voice: Battle of Champions, with a major revamp to the longstanding format and nodding to the powerhouse coaches who form the only panel in the show’s history comprised entirely of Voice winners.  Coaches enter the competition with 10 artists per team.

There will be four rounds, each with a distinct Voice first:

Blinds: Coaches compete against each other in the “Triple Turn Competition” (vying for the most three-chair turns) with the winner gaining a special advantage in the next round.

Battles: The coach with the most three-chair turns automatically earns a “Super Steal” for the Battles. This coveted prize can only be used once and trumps any other coach’s attempt to steal, guaranteeing a win.

Knockouts: Each coach brings back two fan-favorite artists from their teams in previous seasons to compete in an “In-Season All-Star Competition.” All-stars represent their former coaches as they battle in head-to-head sing-offs. The coach with the most sing-off wins is guaranteed a second finalist in the finale. For this special episode, coaches call upon original Voice coach CeeLo Green to sit in on the competition and determine the winner of each All-Star Showdown.

Semi-Final and Finale Week: Kicks off with a Top 9 Semi-final and culminates in the Top 4 Finale. For the first time in show history, a new voting block comprised of super fans and past Voice artists will have the opportunity to get in on the fun firsthand, experiencing the competition as part of the in-studio audience voting for their favorites in real time during the semi-finals and finale.

When does The Voice Season 29 premiere?

The Voice Season 29 is set to premiere in spring 2026. An exact date has yet to be announced, but if scheduling is the same as it’s been in recent years, we can likely expect a February 2026 return.

Season 28 will start in September 2025 and will likely wrap ahead of the holidays in December. While other shows, including Dancing With the Stars and American Idol, now only have one season per year, The Voice still airs two.

The Voice, Season 28, September 2025, 8/7c, NBC