Former The Voice coaches Dan + Shay recently spoke to Audacy’s Katie & Company about their time on the show last season. They shared their favorite parts of the experience and offered advice for new coach Kelsea Ballerini.
Dan + Shay Give The Voice Coach Kelsea Ballerini Advice
Ballerini is joining the show’s coaching panel in the spring of 2025 for Season 27, alongside John Legend, Michael Bublé, and returning coach Adam Levine. The country singer has some experience on The Voice, as she was the “Fifth Coach” on the spin-off show Comeback Stage.
Shay Mooney acknowledged this in his Audacy interview, joking that Ballerini is “probably better at it than we are at this point.” However, he told her to “go into it and have fun” and “approach everything with a little bit of patience.”
“We didn’t know a lot about TV going into it,” Mooney shared. “We just tried to be ourselves. I think when you’re able to be yourself and feel really comfortable in that moment, it comes across on TV like you would want it to.”
Mooney said his favorite part about doing the show was “meeting the contestants,” adding that musicians can get “jaded.” Seeing artists who were excited about getting their big break “took that back to the beginning for me.”
SEE ALSO: DAN + SHAY CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH THEIR 10TH NO. 1 HIT
The Duo Reflects on Working with Reba McEntire
Dan + Shay joined Season 25 of The Voice earlier this year as the show’s first coaching duo, alongside John Legend, Chance the Rapper, and Reba McEntire. Dan Smyers said working with McEntire was “a dream for us.”
“She’s just the coolest person in the world,” Smyers added. “We’ve gotten to know her a little bit over the years. We really got to spend time in L.A., and she’s just such a professional. There’s a reason why she’s had so much success. She still shows up five minutes early to every meeting. Just a pro, sweet to everybody. What you see on TV is who she actually is.”
The duo also shared that they get recognized more now after appearing on The Voice, especially outside of the country music scene in Nashville.
