It's the "Battle of Champions" on The Voice. But one of the more pleasant surprises of the season has been the return of one of its original coaches, CeeLo Green.
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The singer, known for his vocals on the Gnarls Barkley hit "Crazy," is presently serving as a mega-mentor this season.
This Coach on "The Voice" Calls His Return "Surreal"
Green, who was a coach on The Voice during its first season—and who also occupied the red rotating chair in seasons two, three, and five—recently shared with PEOPLE what it was like to be back on set, reflecting on the experience after being away.
Green described the moment as "wonderfully surreal." He shared, "It's like Groundhog Day — like a day hadn't gone by and time stood still here. The people are just as genuine, just as devoted, just as committed to craft and to industry professionals. I want to be in that environment. That's my village."
He later added, "It's so necessary for me to be sparked and to be charged by other talented people. These people are my muse."
CeeLo Green Played a Major Role in the Show's All-Star Competition
In this season of The Voice, coaches Adam Levine, John Legend, and Kelly Clarkson chose two singers to bring back to the stage for its All-Star competition. Green served as a judge.
Green selected Girl Named Tom as his winner. The trio, featured in season 21, was brought back by Clarkson. Green stated he has no regrets about his choice.
"They all were pretty amazing, and my hope is for all of them to be acknowledged by way of this platform so they can go on to support themselves and be stars in their own right and inspire the next generation to come after them," he said.
The "Forget You" singer knows that Levine will give him a hard time for choosing one of Clarkson's all-stars, considering their shared history on The Voice.
"I don't care how coy Adam wants to play. He's very serious about competition. It's just who he is. That's why I even gave that little disclaimer because he should be proud of that," he added.
Looking to the future, Green said he always leaves room in his busy schedule in case he gets the call to return as a coach.
"If they would have me, I would definitely come back," Green shared. "I would be walking away from a lot because I don't consider touring and performing every day a real job. It's a passion play."
