\n<\/p>\n
One last spin! Blake Shelton<\/strong><\/a> shocked fans of The Voice<\/em><\/a> \u2014 and his fellow coaches \u2014 after announcing that season 23 would be his last<\/a>.<\/p>\n The \u201cGod\u2019s Country\u201d crooner revealed in October 2022 that he would be stepping away from the NBC singing competition<\/a>, which he has appeared on since its 2011 premiere. \u201cI\u2019ve been wrestling with this for a while and I\u2019ve decided that it\u2019s time for me to step away from The Voice<\/em> after season 23,\u201d he said in a statement at the time. \u201cThis show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Shelton continued: \u201cIt\u2019s been a hell of a ride<\/a> over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice<\/em> from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best. \u2026 I have to give a huge shoutout to the singers \u2013 the \u2018Voices\u2019 who come on this stage season after season and amaze us with their talent and a special thanks to those who chose me to be their coach. Lastly, it\u2019s about y\u2019all, the fans, who watch and support these artists, us coaches and everyone at The Voice<\/em> chasing their dreams. It wouldn\u2019t happen without you!\u201d<\/p>\n The Oklahoma native was one of the original four coaches on the show, along with Adam Levine<\/strong><\/a>, CeeLo Green<\/strong> <\/a>and Christina Aguilera<\/strong><\/a>. His final season, which kicked off in March 2023, features Niall Horan<\/strong><\/a>, Kelly Clarkson<\/strong><\/a> and Chance the Rapper<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Throughout his tenure on The Voice<\/em>, Shelton has secured eight total victories, including season 3\u2019s Cassadee Pope<\/strong><\/a> and season 4\u2019s Danielle Bradbery<\/strong><\/a>. As he prepares for his last competition, the \u201cAustin\u201d artist is ready for another win<\/a> \u2014 but he\u2019s also looking forward to having a break.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I came on as a coach on this show, I mean, everything in my life was turned upside down,\u201d Shelton told Today<\/em> in February 2023. \u201cAnd in a good way, you know? This has been incredible, but it\u2019s time, you know. It\u2019s time for not even what\u2019s next. A little bit of nothing would be nice.\u201d<\/p>\n He described how much The Voice<\/em> has \u201cchanged my life,\u201d pointing out that he met his wife, Gwen Stefani<\/strong><\/a>, during his time on the show. (The couple began dating in 2015<\/a> and tied the knot six years later.)<\/p>\n The decision to leave his coaching chair<\/a> wasn\u2019t an easy one. \u201cHe was in two minds for a while because the show has given him so much \u2014 and certainly way more than just a financial perspective,\u201d a source exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em> in October 2022, noting that Shelton \u201creally agonized\u201d over his exit<\/a>.<\/p>\n According to the insider, the series \u201chelped [Blake] see the good side about living and working in Hollywood after so many years [of being] based in the south,\u201d but he \u201cknew it was time to leave the show and needed to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Sign up for Us Weekly’s free, daily newsletter<\/a> and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Scroll down to see how Voice<\/em> coaches past and present<\/a> have reacted to Shelton\u2019s final season:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n