Why Did Blake Shelton Leave ‘The Voice’? His Departure After 23 Seasons Explained

Alyssa Norwin May 20, 2025, 2:37 pm

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Blake Shelton on The Voice — Trae Patton/NBC

Blake Shelton was a coach on The Voice for 23 seasons before he decided to exit the show in 2023. He was one of the original coaches when the show launched in 2011, and he stuck it out in his big red chair for 12 years before ultimately moving on.

However, Shelton will return to the show during the Season 27 finale on Tuesday, May 20, two years after his departure. He will be performing his latest hit, “Texas,” before a new winner is named. This will be his second time appearing on the show since his exit (he made a brief cameo in May 2024 to celebrate The Voice’s 25-year run).

With his highly-anticipated comeback happening, scroll down for a refresh about why he left the show in the first place. Plus, is there a chance he’d ever coach again?

Why did Blake Shelton leave The Voice?

Shelton left The Voice to devote more time to his wife, Gwen Stefani, and her three kids. He and Stefani tied the knot in 2021, at which point the country singer officially became a stepdad to her sons.

“If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I’m missing out on some more important things in life,” he told People in December 2022. “For now, that’s our kids. This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again.”

He later told Access Hollywood that becoming a stepfather changed his “perspective” on things. “I think the only way for me to really [parent] right is to step away from being committed to something like The Voice that demands a lot of your time,” he said.

At the time, he was also launching his game show Barmageddon and continuing to focus on his music career.

Shelton announced his decision amid Season 22 in October 2022, so fans were given plenty of notice before his post-Season 23 exit.

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A post shared by Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton)

“I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after next season,” he wrote on Instagram. “This show changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best.”

During a 2023 interview on Today, Shelton explained that the COVID-19 pandemic pushed his exit back by a few years. “I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit,” he shared. “And then, because of COVID, I didn’t want to walk away from the show and leave everybody in a bind. I mean, this show changed my life. I’ll stay here until the world kind of gets back to normal again.”

How many times did Blake Shelton win The Voice?

Shelton won the show more times than any other coach. He is a nine-time champion, taking home his first win during Season 2 with Jermaine Paul and his most recent in Season 22 with Bryce Leatherwood.

In between, Shelton won with Cassadee Pope (Season 3), Danielle Bradbery (Season 4), Craig Wayne Boyd (Season 7), Sundance Head (Season 11), Chloe Kohanski (Season 13), Todd Tilghman (Season 18), and Cam Anthony (Season 20).

Will Blake Shelton come back to The Voice?

While Shelton appears to be on good terms with the show and could pop back up at any point for performances or cameos, it doesn’t seem like coming back as a coach is on the horizon. Not only is he focused on his family and music career, but he also helped create a new singing competition show with Taylor Sheridan for CBS.

Blake Shelton Takes 'Cheap Shot' at Jimmy Fallon During Interview

The Road premieres in fall 2025. Throughout spring 2025, country superstar Keith Urban filmed special performances around the country, with emerging artists serving as his opening act. Those in the crowd got to vote on their favorites to move onto the next city. “Touring’s hard to get right, but when you do, it’s the greatest feeling in the world,” Shelton said in a teaser for the show.

The point is, Shelton is putting his energy into The Road right now, so it doesn’t seem like a return to The Voice is likely. Who knows what could happen in the future, though!