It’s true, The Voice just isn’t the same without Blake Shelton! In 2023, the country star bid farewell to the singing competition, leaving fans hopeful for a return.
Blake was a fixture on the show from its debut in 2011, coaching aspiring artists on Team Blake for an impressive 23 seasons over 12 years. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he revealed that he needed a break, as his heart wasn’t fully in it anymore.
“I totally needed a break from that because if I wasn’t into it, then it wasn’t good for whoever was on my team,” Blake explained. “I don’t want to be someone who’s just going through the motions. Those artists need somebody fighting for them.”
The constant rotation of coaches each season also played a role in Blake’s decision to step away. “The second I started feeling like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t even remember what season this is anymore. Who are the coaches on this season?’ [I knew that] I needed [to get] away from here,” he added.
While Blake doesn’t miss the job itself, he does miss the people. “I mean, those people became like family to me, literally from the crew all up to the producers of the show. I was with them more than I was with my family… I miss that,” Blake reminisced.
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One of the highlights of Blake’s time on The Voice was meeting his now-wife, Gwen Stefani. The two met when Gwen joined as a coach for season 7. Blake recalled:
“The first season she was on The Voice we met [but] we really didn’t talk that much… If you would’ve told me the first season that we met that what was gonna happen, I would’ve been like, ‘No, we actually don’t even have anything to even talk about. What are you talking about?’ It’s crazy how things work out.”
Despite the fond memories, Blake is confident in his decision to leave, saying that “every day feels a little bit better.”
While he’s closed the chapter on his time with The Voice, Blake did mention that he would consider returning under special circumstances: if all four original coaches reunited. He coached alongside Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, and Cee-Lo Green in the show’s first season.
“If they were ever able to put together the original four coaches again, maybe [I’d return] for one season, a one-off,” Blake told ET. “That would be fun for me… That would be something I would be interested in doing.”
So, while Blake’s time on The Voice may be over for now, fans can hold onto the hope of a special reunion in the future.
