Queen Latifah is heading to primetime competition TV in a new role. NBC has tapped the Grammy-winning artist and actor to join Season 30 of The Voice as one of the show’s coaches, marking her first time officially taking a seat in the franchise’s signature red chair.
According to Deadline, the addition gives the upcoming season a noticeably different energy. Queen Latifah will join returning coaches Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine alongside country artist Riley Green, who is entering the series as a first-time coach himself. NBC also confirmed that Season 30, set to launch this fall, will feature appearances by former coaches and mentors associated with the franchise.
While this marks Queen Latifah’s debut on The Voice, she’s no stranger to televised competition formats. Over the years, she has appeared as a guest judge on programs including America's Got Talent.
During that appearance, she urged artists not to resist technological change outright. “The technology is coming and it’s not going anywhere,” she said at the festival. “We need to figure out how to make it better.”
At the same event, she emphasized that technology could never fully replace human perspective, adding, “Nothing will replace our experience and our wisdom.”
Queen Latifah has spent decades moving between industries, first breaking through with records like Ladies First and U.N.I.T.Y., before building a screen career that included Living Single, The Queen Latifah Show, HBO’s Bessie, and the CBS drama The Equalizer.
Season 29 of The Voice recently wrapped with Clarkson, Levine, and John Legend serving as coaches.
