Jania Ashlynn
Season 23 of The Voice will be country singer Blake Shelton’s final run on the show.
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Shelton has been a coach on the show for 12 years, aiding several aspiring performers in their singer careers. He announced his official departure in October 2022.
Moving Forward
“I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after season 23. This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me,” he shared in an Instagram post.
The post continued, “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.”
Blake has been a coach on the show since its debut season. He participated alongside Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, and Ceelo Green. Shelton also met his now wife, Gwen Stefani on the show.
On the current season, Blake is coaching with Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper, and Niall Horan.
Next Chapter
Blake has shared a few reasons why he has decided to leave the show. The first being that he wants to spend more time with his wife.
“Gwen and I have done so much traveling and touring and work the first half of our lives that now we’re like, ‘Hey, I’m good to put my sweatpants on at 6 p.m. and watch Ozark eight times.’ That’s our life now, and we love it. If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I’m missing out on some more important things in life. For now, that’s our kids. This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again,” Blake shared with PEOPLE during his cover spread in 2022.
He also mentioned working on his music.
“Walking away from music, you might as well just poison me or something. That’s not something I can go without. I can’t help it. I’m really at a crossroads right now. The country music lane is changing so rapidly, and there’s some really good stuff out there. These young kids coming up, it’s amazing to see the music that they’re making and how creative they are.”
New projects are gathering his attention as well.
“I’ve had people say, ‘Man, come on. You’re not quitting The Voice [to do] nothing!’ But I really am. Please, I’m accepting ideas. I have Barmageddon — we can do a whole season in a couple weeks, and it’s a blast for me — and my Lands’ End clothing line. It’s time to push some of this [work] stuff out and let more family and personal life in.”
