Country singer Riley Green brought his dog Carl onto the season 30 premiere of *The Voice* to predict which coach would win the series. Carl unexpectedly chose Kelly Clarkson rather than Green, creating a light-hearted moment that delighted fans familiar with the pair’s close relationship.

Green arranged bowls labelled with the coaches’ names, and Carl selected Clarkson’s after Adam Levine checked that the stunt was fair. The new season also marks a return to the show’s regular format, following last season’s “Battle of Champions”, and introduces changes including two-hour premiere episodes and a “First In” button allowing coaches to automatically claim a contestant.