Christina Aguilera Returns To NBC's The Voice For Reported $7 Million; The Show Beats Out Idol In Ratings Due To Likable Judges[VIDEO]

Christina Aguilera will return next season on "The Voice" as a coach on NBC's hit singing competition for a reported $17 million.

Aguilera's return has been kept under wraps for a couple of months but her return to "The Voice" is official.

Aguilera has signed her contract to return to NBC's "The Voice" for $17 million, making her one of the highest paid woman on reality TV. Mariah Carey currently makes a reported $18 million on Fox's "American Idol" and Britney Spears made a reported $15 million on "The X Factor."

Aguilera announced that she was leaving "The Voice" last December to promote her "Lotus" album and tour and exited the show along with Cee-Lo Green.  The two were replaced by Shakira and Usher, while Adam Levine and Blake Shelton remained on the panel.

NBC has said the original judges would return but had not specified when. However, Cee-Lo told the "Today" show late last year that he would be back for Season 5.

"The Voice" has been wildly successful in its four season beating out "American Idol's" spot in the Emmy race, replacing it among the nominees in the Outstanding Reality Competition category.

In April the show took the top two slotson television for the week in total viewers and ratings.

Although "The Voice" has seen a slight dip in ratings this season, it was still enough to beat out "American Idol" head-on in its first hour. Viewers adore the new coaches, Shakira and Usher, and reviews for them have been overwhelmingly positive, which certainly can't be said for "Idol."

"Idol's" cat fights between the judges has overshadowed the singers, unlike "The Voice" that still places the music as its main focus.

The show's new schedule was revealed on Sunday. The network announced that "The Voice" will keep the same two-hour block on Mondays, though Tuesday's one-hour episode has shifted to 9 p.m.