With Season 21 of The Voice barely even begun, the speculation over how much longer Blake Shelton will be on the NBC singing competition has already resumed. A rumor was published last week, alleging that new coach Ariana Grande's joining the show has resulted in producers trying to find a way to push out the only remaining original member of the panel. While there is some merit to Shelton possibly not being around for many more seasons, Grande’s role in the situation seemed questionable, and — based on Shelton’s reaction — the two Voice coaches found the rumor pretty amusing.
Ariana Grande posted a series of photos on Instagram in the days following the Radar Online rumor, and the last of the photos showed a screenshot of a text conversation with Blake Shelton. He first sent her a link to an article about the rumor of his demise, followed by a hilarious — and totally on brand — reaction:
Thanks a lot Ari… Thanks a fuckin’ lot…
There’s no doubt these A-list musicians are used to reading all kinds of rumors about themselves and their careers and, regardless of whether there’s a speck of truth to any of this, Blake Shelton seemed to have no trouble laughing it off. Ariana Grande responded to both of Shelton’s messages with hearts, so it was obvious there was no true vitriol in his f-bomb reaction.
Blake Shelton knows a thing or two about stretching the truth anyway. He’s spent the first two episodes of The Voice Season 21 trying to convince contestants that Kelly Clarkson isn’t a true fan of country music. And the rule-breaking Ariana Grande has proven to be a formidable foe, calling the self-proclaimed “jackass" out not just on his hypocrisy, but also for having a lower win rate than Clarkson on the show.
But while the coaches are willing and able to laugh at the rumors, Blake Shelton has started to drop hints that it may be time to move on from The Voice. Earlier this year he spoke with Today with Hoda and Jenna, confirming that with ten years and coming on 500 episodes behind him, it won't be another ten years before he the end of his stint:
I hope that’s not too far down the road. Ten years sounds like way too long to me. I’d like to see that sooner than later.
Along with spending more time with new wife Gwen Stefani — possibly hitting the road together for a tour — Blake Shelton has seemingly started to grow frustrated with some aspects of the The Voice. Last season, he spoke out about receiving criticism for complimentary comments he made about a member of another team. After saying that Kenzie Wheeler, a member of Kelly Clarkson’s team, could win the show, Shelton had to backtrack in his response to Wheeler’s next performance:
I deeply regret saying that to you now, and it only goes to show, to me, that being honest on this show does not pay off.
I’d much rather see Blake Shelton laughing off rumors that Ariana Grande is getting him fired than experience the tension that came with that statement. Hopefully, the Season 21 coaches continue to keep it clean when the Blind Auditions resume on The Voice this Monday and Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Be sure to check out our 2021 Fall TV Schedule so you don't miss any upcoming premieres.
