Christina Aguilera Among the Judges on NBC's 'The Voice'

NBC announced yesterday that Christina Aguilera is the third celebrity coach to join its upcoming American Idol-like singing competition, The Voice (premiering April 26, 9 p.m. ET). Unfortunately for Aguilera, the news came on the heels of some less flattering media attention: The night before, a cop nabbed her boyfriend Matthew Rutler for drunk driving, and brought Aguilera (who was in the car) into custody until she sobered up.

Ironically, the incident underscores the fact that her hiring at The Voice is a great move -- for both her and the show. Fact is, Aguilera's been the focus of several embarrassing news stories of late -- from mangling the words to the National Anthem at the Superbowl, to stumbling onstage at the Grammys. Her movie debut a few months back, in Burlesque, drew scathing reviews. It's "Cher and Christina Aguilera playing drag queen versions of themselves with all the vitality of Madame Tussauds wax dolls," wrote Rolling Stone magazine.

Aguilera could use some upbeat professional news right now. If the show takes wing, the positive exposure can only help her image. Idol's Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler have received huge (and mostly favorable) exposure for their part in Idol. The Voice is still a gamble, but with Mark Burnett producing, it has real possibility. And thus, so will Aguilera.

And how will the show benefit? In Aguilera producers may have found their very own Paula Abdul. That female judge was both beloved and lampooned for her unpredictable behavior. At times she was like a mother hen; at other times she came across like Simon Cowell's loopy sidekick. In the world of reality TV, less-than-professional behavior can be an inducement to viewers. Tyler's weird antics on Idol are confirming that idea right now.

Of course, the show's dynamic rests on how the judges/coaches interact with one another. What sort of personality twists will Aguilera's partners on the show, singer Cee Lo Green and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, bring to the table? It's worth tuning in to The Voice's premiere to find out.

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