Heavy/Getty Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.
A longtime coach on “The Voice,” Blake Shelton, didn’t miss the opportunity to fire a light-hearted shot at former coach Adam Levine during a May 23 interview with E! News.
Shelton spoke with the outlet ahead of the singing competition show’s 23rd season finale — which aired Tuesday night and saw Team Niall’s Gina Miles earn the championship. “I’m glad that Adam is singing and not speaking because every time he speaks, he says really stupid stuff,” Shelton joked.
The episode marked the eight-time Grammy-nominated country artist’s last night in a coach’s chair. Shelton has been a part of the NBC staple since it debuted in 2011, and after more than a decade, he decided to call it quits.
Shelton and Levine were both coaches on “The Voice” at its inception, and they provided fans with hilarious banter for 16 seasons until the Maroon 5 frontman departed the show in 2019. Levine, a three-time Grammy winner, returned for the finale to perform the band’s latest single, “Middle Ground.”
“When he was a coach on the show, I’ll still say he was hands down the worst coach of anything that I’ve ever seen in my life,” Shelton told E! News.
Blake Shelton Earned 6 Wins While Levine Was on ‘The Voice,’ & Adam Levine Was Victorious on 3 Occasions
Levine was the winning coach in three of his 16 seasons, which includes being the inaugural champion alongside season 1’s Javier Colon. Season 5’s Tessanne Chin and season 9’s Jordan Smith also propelled Levine to victory. While they were on the show together, Shelton bested Levine six times. He earned three back-to-back wins, from seasons 2 through 4, when Jermaine Paul , Cassadee Pope and Danielle Bradbery ascended to the top, respectively.
Shelton also earned bragging rights over Levine due to season 7’s Craig Wayne Boyd, 11’s Sundance Head and 13’s Chloe Kohanski all being the last person standing. After Levine left, Shelton hoisted gold three more times thanks to season 18’s Todd Tilghman, 20’s Cam Anthony and 22’s Bryce Leatherwood.
Big Coaching Shakeup Is Happening for ‘The Voice’ Season 24
Shelton isn’t the only coach leaving “The Voice.” Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper also didn’t sign on for season 24, making room for two former coaches to return to the competition show: Gwen Stefani — Shelton’s wife — and John Legend.
Renowned country star Reba McEntire will also make her debut as a coach next season. One Direction’s Niall Horan elected to return for his second stint as a coach, and he’ll look to earn his second-straight victory in a row.
Shelton also told E! News that he was looking forward to seeing McEntire, who has appeared on “The Voice” as a mentor, take a red seat.
“I’m excited about Reba coming on board,” Shelton said. “It’s kind of meant to be I think. From the versions of the story that I’ve heard, she was the original coach that they wanted here on The Voice to be the country representation. So, now that I’ve had my run, for her to finally get the job that she was meant to have to begin with, it will be fun.”