Gwen Stefani thought that Season 22 of The Voice would be different now that she and Blake Shelton are married, and she’s kind of right. The couple has been on a life roller coaster, having their marriage put to the test (by their wedding officiant Carson Daly, no less) and also sharing some sweet moments along the way. But after Season 23, the whole landscape of the NBC singing competition will be different, as the country singer has announced next season will be his last. Stefani shared some thoughts about his eventual exit that are so complimentary, it sounds like he could have written the words himself.
NBC announced that The Voice will return for its 23rd season this spring, with Kelly Clarkson, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan joining Blake Shelton for his final season on the show. Gwen Stefani spoke to ET about how much he’ll be missed, saying:
He's brought so much joy. He's so talented. I know people just wait around to laugh and watch him on TV, so I feel sorry for everybody [that] he's gonna be gone.
Gwen, blink twice if Blake made you say that! I'm just kidding, of course, because it’s quite obvious how “obsessed” Gwen Stefani is with her husband, and she knows that the fans’ loss will be her gain. But it’s still pretty funny to think of Blake Shelton writing out those adoring words for his wife to commit to memory to one day say them in his honor.
The “Don’t Speak” singer went to say that it will be weird not having Blake Shelton on The Voice — not just for the audience, but for her as well. She told ET:
It's so weird Blake Shelton is leaving The Voice. I wasn't ready, you know what I mean? I have to figure out who this new Blake's gonna be. I'm just so proud of him.
Blake Shelton might have some soul-searching to do after leaving the competition he’s been a part of for more than 10 years, but it actually seems like that journey started a year ago. He and Gwen Stefani celebrated their first wedding anniversary in July, and since making the No Doubt frontwoman his wife, the cowboy has said his priorities have started to shift away from work and more toward Stefani and her three sons.
In March, the “No Body” singer opened up about knowing the end of his music career is coming sooner rather than later. When it's time for him to step aside to make way for new country singers, Shelton has said he will leave with a legacy that he’s already proud of.
Fellow Season 22 coach John Legend also had kind words for his colleague upon news of his impending exit. He said Blake Shelton has been the “heart and soul” of The Voice for a long time, and everybody is going to miss him. If Adam Levine comes out and says something nice, that's how we'll know for sure that the country crooner has been feeding others lines.
We don’t need to think too far ahead just yet, though. We’ve still got the rest of this season and all of next before the cowboy rides off into the sunset, so we’ll have to see if he does so with another win or two under his belt (although Gwen Stefani says she’s already won).
Season 22 of The Voice airs at 8 p.m. ET Mondays and Tuesdays on NBC, and take a peek at our 2022 TV schedule to see what other shows are coming soon.
