NBC recently shared a preview from the upcoming season of The Voice, but fans are unhappy that one beloved judge, Niall Horan, isn’t returning to the judging panel for Season 26. Find out more about the reason for Horan’s departure, below.

The Voice is NBC’s reality TV singing competition where four celebrity coaches form teams of contestants who compete against each other until there’s one winner. Part of The Voice franchise, the show premiered in April 2011 and aims to find unsighted singing talent. Winners receive $100,000 and a record deal with University Music Group.

NBC shared a teaser of the Season 25 coaches, which include John Legend, Dan + Shay, Chance the Rapper, and Reba McEntire. This season marks the first season for Dan + Shay, a country music duo best known for songs like “Tequila,” “Speechless,” and “10,000 Hours.” Dan + Shay are also the first group to be a coach in the history of The Voice.

“Our Coaches have us doing double takes‼️ 👀,” the show’s captioned the teaser on Feb. 2. “#TheVoice returns Monday February 26 on @nbc and streaming on @peacock. 🤩.”

John, Chance, and Reba are all returning coaches on The Voice. John joined in Season 16; Chance joined in Season 23; and Reba joined in Season 24. However, fans were upset that one former coach was absent from the Season 25 lineup: Niall Horan.

“Niall was the best thing since Blake. He’ll be missed,” one user commented. “amazing coaches but niall horan will be missed,” another fan wrote. “Niall carried the show last year now without him no thanks…” wrote another viewer in the Instagram comments.

The former One Direction star joined The Voice in Season 23 alongside Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, and Blake Shelton. He won the singing competition twice, the first with 19-year-old singer Gina Miles in Season 23 and 33-year-old blues rock singer-songwriter Michael Huntley in Season 24. So, why is Niall Horan not participating in Season 25 after coming off of a big win with Huntley? We have the likely answer below.

Why did Niall Horan leave The Voice as a judge?

Why did Niall Horan leave The Voice as a judge? Horan never officially announced the reason for his absence from The Voice Season 25, but it’s likely because the musician is starting his The Show Live on Tour in the U.K. on February 20. The tour will hit different cities around the world through September, stopping in the U.S. over the summertime.

“I cannot believe the response there’s been to these shows already. It’s been years since I’ve last toured so wasn’t sure what to expect,” Horan penned in an Instagram post on June 2 about the upcoming tour. “Thank you for your patience and for welcoming me back with open arms. Some new shows have been added in Los Angeles, Toronto, Dublin, Belfast, Amsterdam and Melbourne so I can see even more of your beautiful faces.”

There is a chance that Horan could return to The Voice next season for Season 26, as the show’s premiere typically premieres in mid to late September. However, neither Horan nor NBC have confirmed the judging panel for the fall of 2024. Stay tuned to learn more.

The Voice Season 25 premieres on February 26 at 8 p.m. on NBC.