Michael Bublé is finally stepping in The Voice after years of hesitation.
During his appearance on Today on Monday, September 23, the singer, 49, revealed he’s turned down the role of coach on the hit singing competition more than a dozen times.
In fact, the Feeling Good The hitmaker shared that he was asked to join the NBC series about “15 or 16” times, explaining that he was not comfortable with the idea of judging other singers.
“But thank God we’re not judges. The other shows have judges — we are coaches,” he clarified, adding, “Most of the singers are better than me, and I have no place ever judging anyone.”
Instead, the Grammy winner said he’s excited about the opportunity to mentor aspiring artists and help guide their careers. “To get to coach them and live the fantasy of having this career that I’ve had and then get to have the fulfillment of helping someone else get? That’s the cool part.”
As the newest addition to The Voice‘s 26th season, Bublé joins a star-studded panel of coaches, including Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, and reigning champ Reba McEntire.
Although he’s confident in his team, Bublé remains humble about his chances of winning, saying, “My team is really good, but everybody has good stuff happening on their team.”
The Voice Season 26 premieres at 8 pm ET on Monday, September 23.