In a recent interview, Blake Shelton admitted that he was ready to leave The Voice several years back but and 23-time Voice coach decided to stay with the music competition show for several more seasons so as not to leave everyone “in a bind” amidst the pandemic.
In a candid conversation with The Voice host, Carson Daly, the country music superstar said “I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit.” “And then, because of COVID, I didn’t want to walk away from the show and leave everybody in a bind. I mean, this show changed my life. I’ll stay here until the world kind of gets back to normal again.”
The upcoming season will be Shelton’s swan song stint, as he shares the coaching slots with returning judge Kelly Clarkson and new judges Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan. During the interview, Blake added that the show had “changed my life” in every way. “I met my wife on this show,” referring to him and Gwen Stefani meeting and falling in love while serving as judges on the show following their respective divorces.
“It changed the path of my career. When I came on as a coach on this show, everything in my life was turned upside down.” “And in a good way, you know? This has been incredible, but it’s time, you know. It’s time for not even what’s next. A little bit of nothing would be nice.”
Shelton is the only remaining coach from the show’s initial 2011 season when shared the duties with fellow judges Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and CeeLo Green. And aside from the Maroon 5 frontman (who departed in 2019 after 16 seasons,) Clarkson has been the longest-lasting coach on the show.
In October of 2022, Shelton announced his departure from The Voice in an Instagram post, writing:
“This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns.” “I’ve made lifelong bonds with [host] Carson [Daly] and every single one of my fellow coaches over the years, including my wife Gwen Stefani! Shelton went on to shout out the singers he has welcomed on the competition series. “It would not happen without you,” he wrote to the show’s fans.
The new season of The Voice will premiere on March 6 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
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Author: Al Denté
Photo: Pete Souza Public Domain