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FunTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome. My name is Peter White. I am the Executive Editor of Television at Deadline.
00:05We're going to be swinging our chairs for this next panel to talk about The Voice.
00:11Currently in its 27th season, the show does not need much explanation, as seen by its slew of Emmy nominations over the years,
00:19as well as discovering many artists. Some of those include the likes of Cassidy Pope and Morgan Wallen.
00:24Joining us today to bust out a tune are Executive Producer Audrey Morrissey and Coach, or First-Time Coach, Kelsey Ballerini.
00:33Before we press that button, let's watch a clip.
00:37It's showtime. Let's go.
00:38Let's go.
00:39Let's go.
00:39Let's go.
00:47Come on, Adam.
00:54We're just having the best time. I'm here to win, okay?
01:08Wow, you blocked her.
01:10You don't block Reba on The Voice. That is like, it's criminal.
01:14I just need one coach to believe in me.
01:16This is the greatest I've ever heard one of my songs.
01:20Come on home to Team Legend.
01:22You can absolutely go all the way and win this thing.
01:25I want you to be a global megastar.
01:28I could not hit my button fast enough.
01:30I would vote for her, but it ain't my decision.
01:34The Reba team is full!
01:38I just think that she is going to be the best coach in the world.
01:42I know how hard it is to begin, to be able to help others see their dreams come to fruition.
01:47It's the most wonderful thing.
01:48If I were to coach you, I would want to feel more of you in your facial expressions.
01:53So right now, start over again, and I'm your audience.
01:57Take that chance.
01:58You can't get to heaven.
02:02It's a celebration.
02:03Let the battle begin.
02:06Maximize this moment you have with them to make them the best performers they can be.
02:11All right, I'm with you. Let's do it.
02:13I want to make sure we're highlighting each of you.
02:18When you connect together, you're both shining.
02:21That's what's going to make this incredible.
02:24Go! Hold on, Renee!
02:26Every time!
02:27We got a steal and a sin!
02:29Let's go!
02:30Woo!
02:36Yeah!
02:36Ram's a big baby.
02:44You know what that reminds me of?
02:46Oh, my God.
02:47My long, pedigreed history here on The Voice.
02:49Kelsey, so, first season as a coach, what made you want to get in that chair, and how has it been?
03:04You know, I've kind of gotten to do a bunch of steps to get to being a coach, a full-time, real-life coach on The Voice.
03:14What year was it, Audrey, that we did the comeback stage?
03:17I know.
03:18I feel like it was 2016.
03:21Yeah.
03:21Because I was looking at it.
03:22Season 15, right?
03:24Yeah.
03:25I think around there.
03:27Or, yeah.
03:27Maybe it was season 16.
03:29Maybe that's what I'm thinking.
03:30It was somewhere around there.
03:32Yeah.
03:32It was a while ago.
03:33And that was kind of my, obviously, I was a viewer, but that was my first entry point into being involved.
03:40And I loved it so much.
03:43And then I got to be an advisor for Kelly's team one year.
03:47And then Kelly got sick one year.
03:50I'll never forget.
03:51I've told this story, but I have to tell it again.
03:52Because I was in Nashville.
03:54It was like 9 p.m.
03:56And I looked down, and I have a call from Kelly Clarkson, which was not a normal Monday night for me.
04:01And I answered the phone.
04:03She's like, hey, I'm under the weather.
04:04Will you fill in for me for battles this year?
04:06It starts tomorrow in L.A. at 11.
04:09And I was like, huh?
04:10And so I just, I literally packed a bag.
04:12And she sent me all of her team information and videos.
04:15And I studied it.
04:16And I sat in the seat.
04:17And I fell in love with being in the room and feeling the energy and really having that closeness with these artists.
04:27And just being so inspired by the whole experience.
04:31And that's when I was like, I really want to do this.
04:35And I even sent Audrey a screenshot of a group chat that I have with my closest girlfriends when I left set the second day.
04:40And I said, I really want this job one day.
04:42And so it feels very full circle.
04:45And it's just, it's such a joy to be so immersed in just such a musical setting with so many different kinds of talent and different kinds of artists.
04:55And it's inspiring.
04:57And I've enjoyed every second.
04:59I really have.
04:59Yeah.
05:00I mean, it proves it if you were already involved in some capacity and wanted to come back, right?
05:05Yeah.
05:06Yeah.
05:06Audrey, what was it about Kelsey that made you think, you know what, we're going to put her in and we're going to give her a full-time gig this time?
05:13Well, as she said, we had all these moments with her.
05:19So we saw her in action.
05:21And she really, you know, took to it like really quickly.
05:27And that's not easy.
05:28I mean, that moment really when she subbed in for Kelly was an eye-opener.
05:33I mean, imagine that someone who's never doesn't know the team, hasn't sat in that red chair, and now she's overnight, you know, doing her homework on the team, which, frankly, she did, which was incredible.
05:50She was on time, looking gorgeous and wide awake.
05:54And, like, the show didn't skip a beat.
05:57And what was even crazier about it, like, she had the confidence and the presence to do that.
06:04Super intimidating, right?
06:07And that day, she was making decisions on who was advancing on Kelly's team.
06:19I mean, think about that.
06:20Like, so it was actually more pressure on her than even if she were a normal coach.
06:28And it just comes in, I mean, look, we've been chatting here for a little bit, even, you know, before this has started.
06:35Like, her personality is, like, off the charts.
06:38She's so warm.
06:40She's so lovely.
06:41She's so funny.
06:42She's so real.
06:44I mean, all these, she's also, like, a natural nurturer.
06:47I mean, it's just, like, if you were to design a perfect voice coach, you know, there she is.
06:54And she's glamorous.
06:55Oh, my gosh.
06:56She has a fashion thing going on.
06:58I mean, yeah.
07:00There you go.
07:01Perfect voice coach.
07:02Nice to hear, I imagine, Kelsey.
07:04But, Audrey, even if we saw in that clip, you shake up the coaching lineup quite often.
07:10I believe you've had 26 coaches over 27 seasons.
07:13Is that part of keeping the show fresh?
07:15Is it part of, you know, I imagine, you know, it's different each time, right?
07:19Yeah, it is part of it.
07:21It absolutely is.
07:22People ask all the time, how do you keep the show fresh?
07:26How do you keep people engaged?
07:28And the truth is, a big piece of that is switching up the dynamic of those four chairs.
07:34So it keeps the coaches on their toes.
07:37They're not going to fall into the same patterns and tropes and things that they always do.
07:42Um, so that's been great.
07:45And it's been great for viewers to just, uh, get engaged with new people and meet new coaches.
07:52Like, now my parents are super fans of Kelsey Valerini.
07:56My parents are 83.
07:58Uh, you know, like, they weren't on the, you know, the cusp of what was playing on Sirius radio, uh, you know, country station.
08:08And now they know her and love her.
08:10So it's great.
08:12Yeah.
08:12And the voice, you know, it launched in 2011, uh, still a ratings hit for NBC.
08:18In fact, someone who worked to NBC said to me, it shows like the voice that prop up a lot of the linear ratings rather than necessarily the scripted series.
08:26Do you think, um, in terms of, you know, what is it that makes people return each year other than wanting to see perhaps some of these new coaches?
08:33You know, they are returning year after year.
08:37I, um, I think the show is just great entertainment.
08:43It's like, they like to see the banter of the coaches.
08:46It's always like, that's just always super entertaining, but they like to see talented people develop and transform.
08:54And it's just, it's really honest and real.
08:59It just really is like what you see.
09:02There's very, I mean, there's a lot of producing, but there's very little producing outside of giving the coaches everything they need to be great coaches.
09:13And giving the artists everything they need to get the best shot to turn that chair and the best shot to advance.
09:21And it's just, it's just a very kind, collaborative, creative show.
09:29And I think in this world where everybody just needs to relax and just forget about their day and whatever's going on in their life, it's just such a good watch.
09:41And a watch with their kids.
09:44That's the other thing.
09:45It's a great co-viewing show.
09:47Yeah.
09:48Kelsey, Michael got a win in his first season last year.
09:52Any pressure?
09:53How competitive are you?
09:55Oh, I mean, I am competitive.
09:58And I think when I first started, like during the blinds, I was very, I really wanted to win.
10:08And I think that shifted now that we're deeper into the season and just having conversations off camera, either with Audrey and the producers or the other coaches, where it's like the win really is knowing that these artists are having these moments.
10:24And whether it's the finale where they win and that's attached to one of us or, you know, it's the knockouts and they don't make it past that, but it's an impactful moment on the show and for their career.
10:37That's a win.
10:38And I think that I've had to rewire even in my own journey, like what is success?
10:44What is the end goal?
10:45What is the win?
10:45And it used to be a number one or a certain award or whatever.
10:50And now I've really, I mean, those things are amazing and knock on all the wood around me.
10:54Those are a part of my career for a while.
10:56But I think it is just finding those moments that feel impactful and connective.
11:02And you're seeing that every episode for people.
11:06So do I want to win?
11:09But am I happy to just see these artists on every team have moments?
11:14I really am.
11:15You're heading into the live episode soon.
11:19Soon, Audrey.
11:19Live is, you know, it's the big buzzword in reality TV these days.
11:23How is that for you compared to a pre-taped episode?
11:29It's really a difference in the pace of production.
11:33Once we hit the live shows, I often liken it to prepping for a big award show in a week when normally, you know, people take six months to produce an award show.
11:50So that's really the pace, like working with the coaches and their teams, making sure the songs are prepped and ready, make sure the sets are built, the wardrobe is done.
12:00It's just it's just at this point, we have it to a science.
12:04It's a real militaristic, you know, process.
12:08I even early on, took us a while to develop it.
12:13But I remember in the first few seasons, somebody, I think it was like a lighting designer or a production designer, actually was called in by the Grammy's producer to interview, to maybe work on the Grammy's.
12:26And they were asking, you know, about the process.
12:29And when they heard the process, they didn't believe it.
12:33They thought we had picked these songs, like, months in advance and have been prepping.
12:38It's like, no, we really don't know who's advancing.
12:41And it's so it's really the team that's insane.
12:44But it's a grind.
12:46It's a real grind.
12:47So buckle up, Kelsey.
12:51I'm sure you are.
12:52As a live performer, I'm sure you are.
12:55This season, you've had people like Cynthia Erivo and Kate Hudson as your battle advisors.
13:01Last season, you had Sting among, you know, Jennifer Hudson as your mega mentors.
13:06Audrey, how do you decide?
13:07It strikes me as you're trying to keep things fresh, but also sort of shake it up each season a little bit.
13:14Yeah.
13:14I mean, the advisors, we typically I mean, we really connect with the coaches who they would like.
13:24It's not we don't force coaches on people.
13:28There are times when the show might be particularly interested in seeing somebody on the show.
13:34And we might sort of suggest some names like what about these people?
13:38You know, like we we'd love it.
13:41But it's really driven by the coaches.
13:45And yes, Sting, I mean, Sting's a classic example.
13:50He came to the show largely because he was doing a single with Snoop.
13:55And Snoop really helped bring that about.
13:58And it was amazing because he was someone we've been asking since 2011.
14:03And it was, you know, no, no, no, no, no, no.
14:06But that's another example of always ask.
14:09You never know when it's going to be a yes.
14:13And things have just changed on their side.
14:15And he was it was so great.
14:20And whether it's Sting or anybody else, they always bring something unique to the conversation, like something new, something that you haven't heard before.
14:31It's it's really wild to see how the different mentors connect to the process.
14:38But I will say what is consistent among all of them is how fulfilled and like creatively enriched they they become, you know, they experience from doing it.
14:52They all walk away like this is not what I thought it would be.
14:57Like, I can't believe how much I got out of it.
14:59But we've got a little bit of show to go, Kelsey.
15:02But favorite moment from your first season as a coach?
15:09I'm going to give you one on camera and one off camera on camera that was in the show.
15:16Candidly, I was super nervous.
15:18Like, I was so excited for the opportunity to be a coach.
15:21But I was also very nervous because it's out of my comfort zone in every way.
15:26But also, I'm up there with three artists that I more or less grew up listening to that are household names internationally and on just a very different level than I am.
15:37And I was really worried about finding my footing and having an honest rapport with them, but holding my own and finding value and the advice that I could give and the insight.
15:48And I think it was the moment that Angie Ray sang Penthouse, which is a song of mine.
15:56And it was a one chair turn.
15:58It was me.
15:59It didn't it didn't matter.
16:01It was it was such a connective moment.
16:03And it made me feel like feel like I belonged there.
16:07And that for me was on screen, the pivotal moment where I was like, I'm going to relax into this big red seat now and feel like I'm contributing something that matters.
16:17And then off off screen, it was in knockouts.
16:23And Angie Ray, again, it was the week that my dog got diagnosed with cancer and we were doing knockouts.
16:30And I was just human level down bad and everyone kind of knew what was going on and everyone was being so gentle with me.
16:38But Angie sang this song that had a line in it about their dog, her dog dying.
16:42And I was like, oh, God.
16:43And I cried.
16:45And after that performance, I was like, guys, can I have five minutes?
16:48I need to fix my makeup.
16:49I look crazy.
16:50I need to just like reset.
16:52And I went to my dressing room and my dog was there that day.
16:55And I was in the makeup chair getting fixed up and both Adam and Michael walked into the room and got on the floor with my dog and just sat with me until I walked back on set.
17:07And I think those are the moments.
17:09And that's why I was so happy to see in the edit.
17:12But I was like, I really hope the camaraderie and the warmth and the friendship that we actually felt on set comes across and really reads.
17:21And every single time it airs, I watch it and I'm like, yeah, that's what it felt like.
17:25There is such a respect and a friendship that we have between the four of us.
17:30And those are the moments that no one gets to see.
17:34But it matters, I think, when we get back in our seats and we get back to the job part of it, because there is that built in level of we have each other's backs.
17:45Yeah.
17:45And so that was I think that was kind of the sweetest moment for me.
17:48No, that's a very sweet moment.
17:50Well, look, good luck with the Emmy nominations.
17:52Audrey, Kelsey, thank you for joining us at Deadline Contenders.
17:56Thank you, guys.