Though there's still plenty of time left before The Voice Season 22 declares a winner, fans have already gotten some major news regarding what's to come for the show. It was recently announced that long-time coach Blake Shelton will be leaving the series after Season 23, much to the disappoint of longtime viewers. Now, series host Carson Daly is opening up the exit, and he has some strong feelings.
While The Voice has seen over a dozen coaches sit in and leave the red chairs, Blake Shelton has been around since the beginning. It’s definitely been entertaining to see him mix it up with his fellow coaches and have some memorable on-screen moments (like the time he went to battle with wife Gwen Stefani over a contestant). It's the end of an era, and Carson Daly revealed to ET that he's not exactly thrilled about it:
I hate it. He and I obviously developed a great friendship at The Voice. I'm bummed, but I get it.
It’s no secret that Carson Daly and Blake Shelton are close, as Daly even officiated Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s wedding. Daly and Shelton even have joint birthday parties, which future signifies their closeness. Also, just like Shelton, Daly has been on the show since it started, so it’s not surprising that he'd feel so strongly about this.
But just because his friend is leaving, it doesn't mean that Carson Daly isn’t happy for him. Later in the interview, he touched upon the other various obligations that his friend and colleague currently has on his plate while also discussing the evolution of the reality competition show:
When we started the show, we had no idea that it would be this successful. We're on twice a year, it's a lot of work. We're lucky to have had him for so long, because most musicians need to tour. He's got business things, we've got another show, Barmageddon, that we did together. So there's a lot going on for him.
The Voice will definitely be different without Blake Shelton, but it’s nice to see that there are no hard feelings between any of the stars over his departure. Meanwhile, Carson Daly isn’t the only series star to voice their thoughts on Blake Shelton’s departure. Fellow coach John Legend, who will be leaving at the end of Season 22 after seven seasons, opened up about Shelton, and he too understands why the country singer decided to leave.
And of course, wife and fellow coach Gwen Stefani also shared her thoughts on Blake Shelton’s exit. Stefani will be leaving (once again) after this current season, so we won’t be getting more on-screen banter from the married couple. She knows how much he’ll be missed once he’s gone. Their departures and others signify that the show is entering a brand-new era. Even still, one can't help but wish Shelton all the best as he leaves the series behind. Fingers crossed that he returns at some point down the road and reunites with Carson Daly and co.
New episodes of The Voice air Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC. Check out CinemaBlend’s 2022 TV schedule for other small-screen offerings as well!
