Fan-favorite “The Voice” coach Reba McEntire is returning to the role for season 28. Despite being such a beloved fixture on the show, McEntire admits she initially dreaded being a coach.

The Voice' judges welcome Reba McEntire for 2023 season. She's ready

Reba McEntire Admits She Was Worried About 1 Aspect of ‘The Voice’

McEntire will return to “The Voice” for season 28 alongside Niall Horan, Snoop Dogg, and Michael Bublé.

During a May 13 interview on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” McEntire revealed that she wasn’t interested at first in being on the popular singing competition show.

“I was really dreading it at first because I don’t want to tell anybody they suck,” she confessed. “I passed on it years ago when it first came over from Holland, and I said, ‘I can’t tell somebody, you know, don’t give up your day job.’ I’m not gonna do that!”

It turns out, she could use her experience as a country music icon to provide help and support to the contestants.

“But the way we did it on the first time I was on ‘The Voice,’ it was more helpful and encouraging,” McEntire explained.

She added, “Everybody that’s coming back now — Snoop, Michael, myself, and Niall — we’re nice people. We encourage. We lift up.”

McEntire also dished about working with her boyfriend, Rex Linn, on the show “Happy’s Place,” noting that “he is probably the sane one in the group.”

She explained, “On the ‘Reba’ show, I was the voice of reason, and now he is. So, I get to be in the whirlwind of chaotic stuff. I love it. I love it [being ‘the crazy one’ now].”

The singer shared that Linn is more serious about acting, noting he’s “a stickler on rehearsals.” She added, “He’s a good guy. I like him a lot.”

Dolly Parton Turned Down ‘The Voice’ Coaching Offers

Fellow country music legend Dolly Parton had a similar feeling about participating on “The Voice” as McEntire.

Parton has served as a guest mentor on “The Voice” twice, but has no interest in being a full-time coach.

In a May 2025 interview with E! News, Parton shared that it’s not in her nature to give people negative feedback. “I’ve been asked to do that a lot of times. It’s too hard for me,” she said. “That’s why I don’t accept it, because I know how sincere everybody is.”

Parton added, “Even if they’re not that good, they believe they are. And I just can’t hurt people.”