Celebrity
Blake Shelton Is Exiting ‘The Voice’ After 12 Years
Blake Shelton will officially leave the singing competition show after next season.
The one remaining original coach on “The Voice,” Blake Shelton, has announced his exit from the singing competition show after next season. When it premiered in 2011, he was joined in the red chairs by CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera, and Adam Levine. Other judges like Shakira and Miley Cyrus rotated in and out, but Shelton had been the constant for 12 years.
The show was where Shelton met with his wife, Gwen Stefani.
Shelton and Gwen met in 2014 for the show’s seventh season, and the pair began dating the following year after the coach divorced Miranda Lambert, and Gwen divorced Gavin Rosedale. They became official, tying the knot in July 2021. “I’ve been wrestling with his for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after Season 23,” Shelton said.
He added: “The show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me.”
As per NBC News, Shelton noted he’d made lifelong bonds with host Carson Daly and all of the coaches on the show over the years. He continued: “I have to give a huge shout out to the singers – the ‘Voices’ who came on this stage season after season and amazed us with their talent and a special thanks to those who chose me to be their coach.”
Gwen commented on Shelton’s departure, writing on Instagram: “I am so proud of you and so blessed to have found u. Your talent brings joy to the hearts of so many people and I’m so lucky to be part of ur life’s journey.”
Per the Deseret News, the coach has claimed eight victories during his time on the show, most recently with Season 20’s Cam Anthony, who Shelton said could be the first superstar to launch off the show. Todd Tilghman, who had won Season 18 of The Voice but was on Team Blake, credited Shelton for instilling confidence in him amid the competition.
Tilghman said of Shelton: “He really made me feel very confident in my ability to not only sing but also that I was someone that people want to hear. He made me very, very, confident in that.”
A fellow coach on the Voice, John Legend, said Shelton will be missed on the show, tweeting: “What an incredible run!”
Currently, Season 22 of the singing competition show is underway with coaches Legend, Camila Cabello, Gwen, and Shelton, each having secured fourteen artists for their team. For Season 23, Shelton’s final season, longtime host Daly will return, and Kelly Clarkson as a coach. The spring season will also see new faces, including Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper, replacing Cabello and Legend.
In 2021, Shelton had teased he might be ready to leave the show.
At the time, the singer-songwriter was preparing to marry Gwen and said he was ready to enjoy a new chapter in life. Shelton told TODAY: “We’ve both pretty much taken it to the limit as far as our careers go and touring and now the television thing. We’ve been fortunate to accomplish a lot of things. But, hopefully, at some point, we get a chance to live some life. I think we’re both ready for that, honestly.”
