NBC Blake Shelton is leaving "The Voice" after season 23.
The self-proclaimed “King” of NBC’s “The Voice” will be stepping down after season 23 of the show, he revealed in a statement obtained by Heavy early in season 22 of the show.
Some fans think Shelton is leaving after the current season wraps up, but that is not the case.
Shelton will be returning to “The Voice” for season 23 of the show, which is set to air in the spring of 2023. For that season, he’ll be joined by coaches Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan, and Chance the Rapper.
Along with the coach announcement, however, Shelton also announced his upcoming exit from the singing competition series. He is the only remaining original coach on the show, and he has been on it for all 23 seasons.
Shelton has won “The Voice” eight times. He won in season 2 with Jermaine Paul, season 3 with Cassadee Pope, Season 4 with Danielle Bradbery, Season 7 with Craig Wayne Boyd, Season 11 with Sundance Head, Season 13 with Chloe Kohanski, Season 18 with Todd Tilghman, and most recently in season 20 with Cam Anthony.
With three artists competing in the season 22 finale, it’s possible Shelton will pull through with another win before he leaves the show.
Shelton Wants a Country Star to Replace Him
Shelton has not been silent about who he wants to replace him on “The Voice.”
“Y’all know that next spring The Voice season 23 will be my last… So I’d like to throw @NealMcCoy’s hat in the ring as my replacement! Can I get an amen?!!!!,” Shelton tweeted on December 2, 2022.
McCoy took to social media after Shelton’s post to write, “How cool is this?”
McCoy is a 64-year-old country artist who has released 10 albums throughout his career. The “Wink” since went platinum-certified with his album “No Doubt About It.”
Shelton is moving on to new things now that he’s leaving “The Voice,” according to a source speaking with ET Online,
“Blake will continue to focus on ‘The Voice’ through the new season and also his new show, ‘Barmageddon,’ music, his 2023 tour, and – of course – his family and life on his farm,” the source told the outlet. “He’s just focusing on other projects both personally and professionally.”
Shelton Decided to Leave ‘The Voice’ Years Ago
In an interview with Extra ahead of the semi-finals of the show and premiere of his new show, “Barmageddon,” Shelton shared that he made the decision to leave “The Voice” ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I made the decision to leave ‘The Voice’ probably a couple of years ago,” Shelton shared. “Then it was just actually doing it. I knew it was time. I knew that I needed to take a step back. It had completely taken over my life.”
The country star added, “It’s been the greatest thing for my career ever. It’s been a blessing, but it was just time. The trouble with it is just walking away from this team that has counted on me for all these years to be there. So I just wanted to make sure I did it at the right time, and didn’t leave people hanging, and then COVID happened. That would have been a bad time to walk away.”
“The Voice” airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. “Barmageddon” airs on Mondays at 11 p.m. ET/PT on the USA Network.