Blake Shelton is currently the longest-serving coach on The Voice, and aside from Carson Daly, he’s the only remaining original cast member. But his reign will come to an end after the conclusion of Season 23.
The country music megastar decided to retire from the competition series so he can focus on being a husband to his new wife, Gwen Stefani, and a stepdad to her three children. But he didn’t take the decision to leave lightly.
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While talking to Daly and Daly’s son, Jackson, on Nightly News: Kids Edition Shelton admitted that he served as a coach for very touching, personal reasons, and he will always remember the feeling he got from helping other musicians live their dreams.
“Artists like me who have been doing this for a million years, there’s just never really been a path to pass along all the stuff I learned over the years to younger people,” he said. “And now to be able to pass along some things that I’ve learned along the way — especially mistakes I’ve made along the way.”
“So that’s probably been my favorite part about being a coach on here and the reason I would say come try out, you know, give it a shot,” he adds.
Blake Shelton’s Final ‘The Voice’ Episode Airs Live This May
Blake Shelton has worked with dozens of artists on The Voice and he’s been an incredibly successful coach. During his time, Team Blake has notched out nine wins, which is by far the most for any team.
The six-time CMA winner also hopes that as he leaves, more and more singers take a chance at greatness, especially the younger generation. In his opinion, 13 is the best age to get serious about a career in the industry.
“I say, ‘Come on!'” he cheered when asked about kids auditioning for The Voice. “Because, you know, the chances of making it on this show are slim, but there’s no way to audition for this show — and especially make it on the show — without learning a bunch of stuff. That’s what I love about it.”
Blake Shelton’s final season pits him against his friend Kelly Clarkson, who has coached for several seasons dating back to 2012. Two newcomers joined them, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan.
Shelton’s final episode airs live on May 23. Who will take his seat is still undecided.
