The Voice: Gwen Stefani returns as season 19 judge and reunites with rival boyfriend Blake Shelton

Gwen Stefani returned to The Voice on Monday’s season 19 premiere to the delight of her longtime boyfriend Blake Shelton,.

‘I took a season off, but I’m back, and I can’t wait to get out there and find the next big artist,’ said the Hollaback singer, 51, as the blind auditions began.

‘I love that this group of coaches are back together,’ offered seven-time champion Blake, 44. ‘There’s just something about this combination that really works well.’

She’s back! Gwen Stefani returned to The Voice on Monday’s season 19 premiere to the delight of her longtime boyfriend Blake Shelton

Gwen had spent the last year-and-a-half doing a residency in Las Vegas, where she performed her old hits in a show entitled Just A Girl.

She came back to a drastically different show, as everything had been affected by COVID-19.

There would be no studio audience for the current season; instead, fans across the United States would be streaming the show, and artists’ families could also watch their performances live online.

As the two-hour episode opened, the coaches prepared to hit the studio, with John Legend’s daughter Luna, four, and son Miles, two, jumping on his bed, Blake and Gwen packing up a pickup, and Kelly Clarkson, 38, tossing out her raggedy old sweatshirts.

Country star: Blake Shelton was thrilled to have Gwen back for season 19 of the NBC show

Country star: Blake Shelton was thrilled to have Gwen back for season 19 of the NBC show

Kelly made masks for her fellow coaches, giving John, 41, one with piano keys on it, handing Blake a camo version, and sporting one herself that had a zipper over the mouth.

‘It doesn’t work,’ Blake said. ‘I can still hear you.’

During one break, Gwen shot footage of the judges’ dressing rooms. When she walked into Blake’s, he was pretending to urinate in his bathroom, using a rigged water bottle.

Coronavirus filming: Kelly Clarkson brought masks for her fellow judges amid the coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus filming: Kelly Clarkson brought masks for her fellow judges amid the coronavirus pandemic

‘You want a drink?’ he asked Gwen, holding it out.

The evening held plenty of surprises for the coaches, with one performer so shocking them with their appearance, they uniformly shouted when they saw him.

John Holiday, 35, an opera singer from Rosenberg, Texas, sang Erroll Garner’s 1954 jazz classic Misty at such a high pitch, all of the coaches assumed he was a woman.

Grammy winner: John Legend also was back as a judge for season 19

Grammy winner: John Legend also was back as a judge for season 19

When Kelly turned around, her open-mouthed reaction was so instantly memorable her producers turned it into a meme, playing it over and over.

John won Holiday for his team after blocking Kelly from getting her hands on him, and told the man, ‘Us Johns oughta stick together.’

Holiday said he was bullied growing up because he had a high voice, and made fun of for being gay even before I knew it.’

Opera singer: John Holiday, 35, an opera singer from Rosenberg, Texas, sang Erroll Garner's 1954 jazz classic Misty at such a high pitch, all of the coaches assumed he was a woman

Opera singer: John Holiday, 35, an opera singer from Rosenberg, Texas, sang Erroll Garner’s 1954 jazz classic Misty at such a high pitch, all of the coaches assumed he was a woman

At age 25, he came out to his grandmother ‘Big Mama,’ who told him, ‘There is nothing in this world that you could do that would make you love you any less than I love you right now.’

‘I wish that kind of love for everybody, because it allowed me to be myself without apology,’ he added. ‘It freed me, and it allowed me to soar.’

‘I’m here to show other little boys, no matter what color they are, that you can be and do anything,’ the singer said.

Anything possible: 'I'm here to show other little boys, no matter what color they are, that you can be and do anything,' the singer said

Anything possible: ‘I’m here to show other little boys, no matter what color they are, that you can be and do anything,’ the singer said

Another contestant faced similar issues as she grew up, and initially found less acceptance.

Marisa Corvo, 33, sang a joyous cover of Pink’s Perfect for her audition, which had Kelly, Gwen and Blake cheering.

‘You have range for days,’ Kelly told her. ‘I would be shocked if you weren’t in the finale.’

Cool cover: Marisa Corvo, 33, sang a joyous cover of Pink's Perfect for her audition, which had Kelly, Gwen and Blake cheering

Cool cover: Marisa Corvo, 33, sang a joyous cover of Pink’s Perfect for her audition, which had Kelly, Gwen and Blake cheering

Marisa said she chose the song because it reflected a story she was ready to tell.

‘At 21, I realized that I wasn’t totally straight,’ recalled the contestant, who came from a big Italian family in Staten Island, New York. ‘I like girls, love girls, love women. I wanted to come clean with my parents…but they just did not take it well. I was forced to go to these religious morality classes that made me feel like I was being converted into not being gay. They made me feel like I had to hate myself. So I did, for the longest time.’

‘It’s not what I thought I wanted for my child,’ her mother said, remembering how her own father reassured her, ‘My God, it’s okay! She’s born this way.’ And then my mother chimes in, ‘It’s okay! Every family has one.’

Coming out: Marisa said she chose the song because it reflected a story she was ready to tell

Coming out: Marisa said she chose the song because it reflected a story she was ready to tell

Kelly ultimately got Marisa to choose her, noting, ‘She is definitely the Staten Island version of Kelly Clarkson. Like, she is so full-on.’

The first person to audition Monday was Tamara Jade, a 30-year-Jamaican performer who had built a successful career as a backup singer and doing off-Broadway shows.

She got a four-chair turn for her cover of Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You, and chose John, who shook her hand with a green glove on the end of a stick—the production team’s nod to COVID-19 safety.

Four chairs: The first person to audition Monday was Tamara Jade, a 30-year-Jamaican performer who had built a successful career as a backup singer and doing off-Broadway shows

Four chairs: The first person to audition Monday was Tamara Jade, a 30-year-Jamaican performer who had built a successful career as a backup singer and doing off-Broadway shows

John called the prop ‘hands-down, the stupidest stunt I’ve pulled on The Voice.’

Lauren Frihauf, 16, a farmer’s daughter from Byers, Colorado, sang Melissa Etheridge’s Come to My Window, a song about longing that felt relevant in these socially distant times.

‘I can’t believe you’re 16—you’re so awesome!’ said Gwen, who Lauren chose as her coach.

Teen talent: Lauren Frihauf, 16, a farmer's daughter from Byers, Colorado, sang Melissa Etheridge's Come to My Window

Teen talent: Lauren Frihauf, 16, a farmer’s daughter from Byers, Colorado, sang Melissa Etheridge’s Come to My Window

The Hollaback singer then shot a Team Gwen t-shirt at Lauren from a t-shirt cannon.

Next up was Joseph Soul, a 34-year-old native of Hana, Hawaii, who worked as a top international DJ but wanted to become a professional singer.

His sweet cover of Bob Marley’s Is This Love wooed Kelly, who scored him for her team despite Blake showing the man flags trumpeting his seven wins on The Voice.

Hawaii singer: Joseph Soul, a 34-year-old native of Hana, Hawaii, who worked as a top international DJ but wanted to become a professional singer

Hawaii singer: Joseph Soul, a 34-year-old native of Hana, Hawaii, who worked as a top international DJ but wanted to become a professional singer

‘I’ve been around a long time,’ Blake testified. ‘Still gettin’ it done.’

Kelly told Joseph to choose a purple jacket marked Team Kelly from a wardrobe nearby.

Ian Flanagan, a 30-year-old New Yorker, nabbed Blake as his coach with his rendition of the Zac Brown Band’s Colder Weather, which John said sounded like he’d lived ‘a thousand lives.’

Strong rendition: Ian Flanagan, a 30-year-old New Yorker, nabbed Blake as his coach with his rendition of the Zac Brown Band's Colder Weather

Strong rendition: Ian Flanagan, a 30-year-old New Yorker, nabbed Blake as his coach with his rendition of the Zac Brown Band’s Colder Weather

Ian had spent eight months touring the country with his family, picking up gigs where he could.

When he chose Blake to coach him, he gratefully hugged a cardboard cutout of the singer.

Jim Ranger, a 38-year-old pastor from Bakersfield, California, had grown up singing at church, and his soulfulness showed in his cover of Keith Urban’s Blue Ain’t Your Color.

Church singer: Jim Ranger, a 38-year-old pastor from Bakersfield, California, had grown up singing at church, and his soulfulness showed in his cover of Keith Urban's Blue Ain't Your Color

Church singer: Jim Ranger, a 38-year-old pastor from Bakersfield, California, had grown up singing at church, and his soulfulness showed in his cover of Keith Urban’s Blue Ain’t Your Color

‘I was feeling the spirit,’ said John, a pastor’s grandson who called Jim ‘a revelation’ and told him ‘You don’t want to work with Blake!’ as Gwen and that coach turned their chairs.

John said he had an ‘important message’ to share, as a campaign-style video was shown.

‘Blake Shelton is a liar,’ it said. ‘All he does is lie. Isn’t it time you pick a coach you can believe in? A coach with integrity. So this season, pick a coach we can all trust.’

Important message: John said he had an 'important message' to share, as a campaign-style video was shown

Important message: John said he had an ‘important message’ to share, as a campaign-style video was shown

John’s face swam onscreen. ‘I’m John Legend, and I approve this message,’ it said.

Blake shrugged it off. ‘I may be full of crap, but I won’t be deterred,’ he said. ‘I do lie, but it’s only when something is important to me.’

Jim chose Blake, who said, ‘Luckily, my reputation precedes me,’ and sang ‘Streets of Bakersfield’ with the contestant, as he carried the cutout of Blake offstage.

John, who was People magazine’s 2019 Sexiest Man Alive, grumped about losing his mojo, saying, ‘This losing streak is not sexy. I don’t love it.’

Eli Zamora, a 25-year-old Mexican emigrant living in El Paso, Texas, spent his days working as a gondolier in Las Vegas, where he sang to customers.

Spanish language: Eli Zamora, a 25-year-old Mexican emigrant living in El Paso, Texas, spent his days working as a gondolier in Las Vegas, where he sang to customers

Spanish language: Eli Zamora, a 25-year-old Mexican emigrant living in El Paso, Texas, spent his days working as a gondolier in Las Vegas, where he sang to customers

Kelly loved his ‘passionate’ rendition of Ya Lo Sé Que Tú Te Vas by Juan Gabriel, and as the only coach to turn her chair hoped her fellow Texan would teach her Spanish someday.

Payge Turner, 27, from Trinidad and Tobago, nabbed chair turns from both Blake and Gwen for her sultry version of The Weeknd’s Call Out My Name, and chose Gwen.

Several contestants didn’t make it through, among them Corey Ward, 34, from Hartsville, South Carolina, who’d done the show for his ailing mom, and Hailey Green, a 14-year-old high school student from St. Martin, Mississippi, who shocked the coaches with her maturity.

The Voice will return Tuesday on NBC.

Sultry song: Payge Turner, 27, from Trinidad and Tobago, nabbed chair turns from both Blake and Gwen for her sultry version of The Weeknd's Call Out My Name, and chose Gwen

Sultry song: Payge Turner, 27, from Trinidad and Tobago, nabbed chair turns from both Blake and Gwen for her sultry version of The Weeknd’s Call Out My Name, and chose Gwen