Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton on season 22 of "The Voice"
After the season 22 finale of “The Voice” — airing live on December 13, 2022 — Blake Shelton will have one season left before he hangs up his hat, ending his reign as the longest-standing coach on the series. But with Shelton set to retire and a different group of coaches joining him for season 23, many fans are wondering if Tuesday’s finale will be the last-ever show for Gwen Stefani, his wife and fellow coach. Here’s what you need to know:
Gwen Stefani Says It Would Be ‘Weird’ Coaching Without Blake Shelton
GettyGwen Stefani salutes fans at the 2022 Met Gala
Stefani met and eventually fell in love with Shelton on “The Voice.” Both singers were still with their previous spouses when Stefani joined the series as a rookie coach for season 7, beginning with taping blind auditions in the spring of 2014.
By the following summer, Shelton announced his marriage to fellow country star Miranda Lambert was over, which floored Stefani, who was privately going through her own split with rocker Gavin Rossdale. Per People magazine, Stefani told Howard Stern in 2016 that she then confided in Shelton about her own breakup, never expecting they’d wind up falling in love. They officially began dating in November 2015 and were married in July 2021.
While Shelton has never missed a season of “The Voice,” Stefani has appeared on a total of six seasons: 7, 9, 12, 17, 19, and the current season, 22. She will not be part of Shelton’s final season and she hasn’t announced any specific plans to coach in the future.
In November, she told Extra that she hadn’t really thought about whether she’d return to the show after Shelton is gone.
“I have no idea,” Stefani said. “Every season I have been on the show, it has been a last-minute (request).”
Then she exclaimed, “Yes, ask me back! I will come back. It would be really weird without Blake!”
But that’s not likely to happen anytime soon, as both she and Shelton seem excited for more time at home with their family. Stefani and Rossdale share three boys, for whom Shelton loves being a bonus dad.
“I’m so excited for him, because we have lives outside of work and it’s a really good life and it’s really fun,” Stefani told Extra. “We have Oklahoma, which is something I never knew I needed and wanted; we plant a garden…We are looking forward to doing some of that family stuff.”
What Might Lure Gwen Stefani Back to ‘The Voice?’
NBCGwen Stefani with fellow coach John Legend during season 22 of “The Voice”
Stefani, 53, has been vocal about how much she loves being part of “The Voice” and mentoring young artists, which may be enough to lure her back for a future season. And she may just want to try her hand at winning again. She’s only won the competition once, with Carter Rubin on season 19, and she has no shot at winning again since all of her team members were eliminated before the season 22 finale.
Even before Team Gwen got voted out, she was already feeling sad about the end of the season approaching.
“It’s just been a really amazing season, too short,” she told Entertainment Tonight before the December 6 semifinals, getting teary-eyed. “It’s mine and Blake’s last season… I can’t even get the words out of my mouth ’cause it sucks.”
“I never in my lifetime would’ve pictured me doing something like this, and it’s been one of the most fun things I’ve ever done,” she continued. “I love being a coach, I love watching the contestants grow, I love having an impact, it’s super inspiring for me. And then, on top of it, I meet my best friend here that’s gonna be forever mine.”
The final two shows of season 22 air with live performances tonight (December 12) at 8 pm Eastern and the two-hour results show tomorrow (December 13) at 9 pm Eastern.