It was a milestone night on The Voice, and not just because the Knockouts were phenomenal. The NBC singing competition celebrated its 500th episode on Tuesday, and you better believe there was a cake befitting the occasion. Host Carson Daly announced that The Voice’s 500-episode run over the past ten years makes it the most-watched television show of the decade on a single network.
But it wasn’t just The Voice itself that marked the big 5-0-0. Blake Shelton, the only coach to participate in all 21 seasons so far, also remarked that he was 500 episodes old. Host Carson Daly, as well, was there from the beginning. And don’t forget The Voice Band! Daly called the four coaches and the band onto the stage for a group photo before the competition resumed — and before Shelton could hoard the cake.
Later on in the show, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend, and Ariana Grande walked backstage to find Blake Shelton with a huge “slice” of cake, noting that he deserves it after 500 episodes. Ariana Grande kindly agreed that it didn’t look like there was enough for the rest of them anyway, since Shelton was so clearly eating a “single serving.” Check out the cake in all its glory below, as well as Blake getting all up in that cake.
Tastes pretty good too. 😋😂 #TheVoice pic.twitter.com/s9WoC71WgROctober 27, 2021
And you’re welcome for that image, because that GIF might stick with you as long as that cake will stick with Blake Shelton. After the celebration was over, The Voice was back to business for three fantastic Knockout performances. I mean, we’re all here for the singing, right?
Carson Daly talked ahead of Season 21 about The Voice’s longevity and what it was about the show that has struck a chord with the NBC audience for a whole decade. For one, having different coaches each season allows The Voice to draw bigger names, he said, because the coaches are free to go on tour or work on another project.
Another aspect that Carson Daly said makes The Voice special is its flexibility to change up the rules on a trial-and-error basis. Over the 21 seasons, they’ve added a Mega Mentor, Steals, Saves, Blocks, etc. They’ve experimented with Comeback Artists and Four-Way Knockouts. And it looks like they’re at it again.
Following the 500th episode, the coaches took to Twitter to tease what Kelly Clarkson called a plot twist in next week’s episode. John Legend reminded fans that voting starts next week with the Four-Way Knockout, and a cake-filled Blake Shelton added his 2 cents as well.
Do me a favor… don’t miss next week's episode on [The Voice] .. We have a HUGE surprise that I’ll need y’alls help with..
What are they up to now? Did John Legend’s tweet offer a clue that fans will have more to vote on than we expect? We’ll have to do what they say and tune in to find out. The Voice Season 21 Knockouts conclude Monday, November 1 on NBC at 8 p.m. ET. Go ahead and check out our 2021 Fall TV schedule to keep up with all of the upcoming premieres.
