The Voice Season 23 premiere on March 6 will mark the beginning of the end for Blake Shelton — the only coach of The Voice to serve on the panel for every season so far. There’s no doubt the singing competition has been a huge part of the country singer’s life, as he’s filmed two seasons nearly every year since its 2011 debut and even met his wife Gwen Stefani on the show, so there are sure to be emotional times to come for the cowboy. Shelton revealed one moment he’s already experienced that really hit him over the head with the fact that this is his last rodeo.
Blake Shelton will be joined by his rival Kelly Clarkson and The Voice first-timers Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan when Season 23 kicks off, and apparently the realization that this is really his final season already started to sink in, during the filming of the season’s pre-recorded rounds. He told ET:
I don’t think it’s really gonna hit me until the last episode. But there's been a few moments, especially in the Blind Auditions. The last person that I hit my button for, that I got on my team, it dawned on me when I did that: 'Oh my god, I’m never gonna do that again. I'm never gonna beg somebody to be on my team again. I'm never gonna hit this button again. … It surprised me how it hit me.
I can imagine with The Voice being such a constant in his life for so long, realizing that he just hit his button to complete the final team he’s ever going to coach would be pretty jarring. Blake Shelton said he didn’t shed any tears at the time but was still surprised at the emotion.
Kelly Clarkson, who took a hiatus from the show in Season 22, warned him that it would probably hit him after it was all over, and while she couldn’t help but fan the flames of their friendly feud, she also said that knowing it’s Blake Shelton’s final season allows them all to lift him up and acknowledge what he’s done for the show over the past 12 years.
How long the “No Body” singer would stay on The Voice had been a question for the past few seasons, as Blake Shelton said the end would come “sooner than later” and also seemed to start finding some aspects of the competition frustrating. Rumors swirled about behind-the-scenes drama, backstabbing and marriage trouble, but Gwen Stefani cited his reasons for leaving as his being ready to spend more time with family — he takes being a stepfather to Stefani’s three sons seriously — and doing other things that he loves.
There’s one more season of The Voice to take care of, though, before he can fully move on to whatever comes next (which will for sure include at least one more season of his other series Barmageddon). While viewers are sure to see the rivalry thrive between the veteran coaches, Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson will also be graced by the presence of this season’s Mega Mentor Reba McEntire — a country music legend with meaningful ties to both singers.
Don’t miss the beginning of the end of Blake Shelton’s reign, when The Voice Season 23 premieres at 8 p.m. ET Monday, March 6, on NBC. Also be sure to check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon.
