Blake Shelton is leaving his chair.
The Voice coach posted on Instagram that he will be leaving the hit singing competition after its next season in spring 2023. According to him, he’d been “wrestling with this for a while” but finally decided to say goodbye. Blake is the only coach to appear on each show’s season since it started in 2011.
He wrote, “This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best. It takes a lot of work, passion, and adult beverages (Ha!) to pull off a live show twice a week.”
He continued, “I’ve made lifelong bonds with Carson [Daly] and every single one of my fellow coaches over the years, including my wife Gwen Stefani!” Gwen joined the show in 2014 and the two eventually tied the knot in July last year.
“I have to give a huge shoutout to the singers—the ‘voices,'” Shelton continued, “who come on this stage season after season and amaze us with their talent and a special thanks to those who chose me to be their coach.”
He also expressed his gratitude towards his fans. He wrote, “It’s about y’all, the fans, who watch and support these artists, us coaches and everyone at The Voice who are chasing their dreams. It would not happen without you!”
Shelton will be spending his final season with a bang as the singing competition welcome two new coaches for the first time: Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper. Shelton will join the new judges together with another longtime coach, Kelly Clarkson, who first started her judging stint in season 18 in 2014. This will be Clarkson’s ninth season as coach.
The good news is, Shelton could always return as coach just like what previous coaches have done including Nick Jonas, Alicia Keys, and Christina Aguilera.
The current season of The Voice have Shelton, Stefani, John Legend, and Camila Cabello as coaches.
