Ariana Grande Reveals Why She Will Never Return as a ‘The Voice’ Judge: “I Can’t Really Do That”

Pop sensation Ariana Grande is revealing why she will never return as a judge on The Voice. The “Dangerous Woman” singer, who joined the cult classic reality competition as a coach during The Voice Season 21, is bidding adieu to the show for good because she gets too “emotionally attached to everyone.”

During the November 6, 2024, episode of the Las Culturistas podcast, Grande expressed how she gets too attached to the contestants and finds it extremely difficult not to care for them on a deeply personal level. The Wicked actress also shared how she keeps in touch with all the contestants from her team, like Bella DeNapoli, David Vogel, and Raquel Trinidad. Grande remarked that she keeps in touch with them via Instagram amid her busy schedule. The pop star quickly noted that she is grateful for the benefits of being a judge on The Voice and said it was a really fun perk. Grande shared how the experience has been for her in the following words:

“I love everyone so much. I love meeting people, and I felt so invested. And I still do, like I see them all on Instagram.”

The “7 Rings” singer also shared how it’s intimidating and quite challenging to work alongside talented coaches like Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, and John Legend — who also have more experience being a part of the reality competition show, and that she has learned a lot working alongside all the judges.

Universal Addressed the Pay Gap Rumors Surrounding ‘Wicked’

Rumour mills were churning with news that Ariana Grande was getting paid significantly more than costar Cynthia Erivo for Wicked. As per the rumors, Grande was cashing in $15 million as Glinda the Good Witch in the two-part movie musical, while Erivo only got paid a mere $1 million to play Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.

However, Universal was quick to clear up any false rumors in an exclusive statement to the Hollywood Reporter on November 26, 2024. The spokesperson for Universal stressed that both actresses were paid equal fees for their respective roles in Wicked. The statement did not reveal how much the actresses were getting paid, noting how the rumors were just “internet fodder.”

Rumors also suggested that the supporting cast members were getting paid more than Erivo. Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum were rumored to have been paid $2 million each while Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey was allegedly paid $450,000 to play Fiyero. All the information surrounding the figures, however, must be taken with a massive grain of salt though, as they are simply speculations. New episodes of The Voice Season 26 air Mondays at 8/7c and Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC. You can stream the episodes on Peacock the following day.