Speculation swirls around rumors that The Voice judge Christina Aguilera is reportedly worried about being upstaged on the show due to fellow judges Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s romantic endeavors. The March 7, 2016, issue of Ok! magazine detailed the high tensions that were rippling across The Voice‘s iconic chairs.

According to a source, Aguilera was displeased that Shelton and Stefani’s romance has taken center stage, as the ratings for the singing competition increased notably in 2015 when rumors were initially flying about the two judges’ relationship. Celeb Dirty Laundry reported that the Nov. 2, 2015, episode, which aired after photos emerged of the two during fellow judge Adam Levine’s Halloween party, scored just over 12 million viewers.

Popularity soared for The Voice with viewers clamoring to see any more hints of real-life romance embedded within the singing competition. Aguilera reportedly demanded to return to her coaching position on the NBC show after hearing rumors that Stefani could permanently take her place. According to Inquisitr, Aguilera is worried about being upstaged and replaced by the romance that was bringing in viewers. Aguilera “went into a big spiel about how it was her show, and that Gwen was using her new relationship to try and stay relevant.”
The tenth season of The Voice debuted on Feb. 29, 2016, and like the previous seasons brought another rotation of judges. This time, Aguilera took the position of the “pop female recording artist judge” back as Stefani left the show. To note an ironic twist, Stefani had only stepped in when Aguilera left in Season 9 for maternity leave.

This current season of the show introduced Stefani on Shelton’s team as a guest mentor, which allegedly made Aguilera feel insecure about her place in the competition. Shelton was reportedly unhappy that Stefani had to leave in order to make room for Aguilera. He had even suggested the replacement of Aguilera with Stefani, or barring that, the inclusion of a fifth judge.

During the Season 10 premiere, which boasted 13.4 million viewers, Aguilera told Shelton, “You don’t run the show when I’m here, Blake,” as she swiped former child star Alisan Porter for her team. Shelton agreed, “She’s right about that actually.” Allegedly, Aguilera is worried that she will be replaced by Stefani and be upstaged by a romance. The question of having two female Judges has been posed by Shelton, so HollywoodLife went to the horse’s mouth for confirmation.

Two Female Judges in the Big Red Chairs?

Mark Burnett, the creator of The Voice, explained why the two superstar women simply cannot be on the show at the same time. He told HollywoodLife that actually the gender of the judges is not fixed at all. It just so happens that the current setup of three men and one woman being in the chairs have been the standard of the show thus far. He stated,”That is my authentic answer, there is nothing behind it.”

Burnett explained further, “We discuss it all the time, we don’t care if there were three women and one guy on The Voice, or whatever order. It is just the way it works out every year.” Currently, a source reported to Inquisitr that there were no plans to add a fifth judge and that there is no external motivation behind changing the lineup of judges, other than to keep the show fresh.

It has nothing to do with what Aguilera wants or how well Stefani is performing. There is no ratings ploy that would lead to anyone being upstaged due to the burgeoning romance. The Voice airs Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET /5 p.m. PT on NBC.

By Juanita Lewis
Edited by Leigh Haugh and Cathy Milne

Sources:
HollywoodLife: ‘The Voice’ Creator Reveals Why Gwen Stefani & Christina Aguilera Can’t Both Be Judges
Inquistr: CHRISTINA AGUILERA THREATENS TO QUIT ‘THE VOICE’ OVER GWEN STEFANI & BLAKE SHELTON’S PDA?
OK!: ‘The Voice’ Feud Continues! Christina Aguilera Threatens To Quit Over Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani PDA
Celeb Dirty Laundry: Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton Romance Killing The Voice – Ratings Crash After PDA-Packed Episode?
Image Courtesy of Pete’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License