Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: NBC’s late-night host Carson Daly is in negotiations to host NBC’s ambitious new singing competition series (and American Idol rival) The Voice, from top reality producers John de Mol (Big Brother) and Mark Burnett (Survivor) and Warner Horizon Television. The show, in which contestants vie for a recording contract, is modeled after the Dutch Voice of Holland, which is the country’s #1 talent competition show. It features four celebrity artists who each forms a team of singers that they will coach and mentor throughout the competition. Contestants will be eliminated until each coach only has one team member left who will compete in the finals to be named The Voice in a live finale. Casting of the four celebrities is still under way, with NBC targeting the series for a spring launch, going head-to-head with Fox’s juggernaut American Idol. Carson Daly has a strong music series background, having come out of MTV’s signature show Total Request Live. He also regularly features music acts on his late-night NBC show Last Call with Carson Daly. This will mark the primetime debut for Daly, who recently returned as host of NBC’s New Year’s Eve special. Daly shares the same radio background with Idol host Ryan Seacrest who both started off as DJs on Los Angeles radio stations and now have LA morning drive shows.

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