The 25th season of 'The Voice' is airing now
Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’ exit, meeting wife Gwen Stefani: ‘I won the ultimate prize’
Country star Blake Shelton and ‘The Voice’ season 22 winner Bryce Leatherwood tell Fox News Digital about their experience on the show.
It'd take a couple of arms and legs to get Blake Shelton back as a coach on NBC's "The Voice," but the country star says he'd do it, if all the stars aligned.
In a recent conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Shelton reflected on his choice to leave the show last year after 23 seasons, admitting that as time passes, he feels more confident in his decision.
"Every day feels a little bit better," he said of the departure. "I feel better about that decision."
Blake Shelton was one of the four original coaches when "The Voice" premiered in 2011. He left the show after season 23. (Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
But there are elements of "The Voice" that Shelton acknowledges have been difficult to say goodbye to. "I miss the people. I mean, those people became like family to me, literally from the crew all up to the producers of the show. I was with them more than I was with my family," he shared. "I miss that," while adding he doesn't "miss the job at all."
"I totally needed a break from [the job], because if I wasn't into it then it wasn't good for whoever was on my team," he said of exiting the show. "I don't want to be someone who's just going through the motions. Those artists need somebody fighting for them."
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Blake Shelton still holds the record for most wins by a coach with nine. In 2022, he won with singer Bryce Leatherwood, left. (Getty Images)
Shelton still holds the record for most wins by a coach, having won nine different seasons.
"The second I started feeling like, 'Oh, my gosh, I don't even remember what season this is anymore. Who are the coaches on this season?' [I knew that] I needed [to get] away from here," he said, although Shelton left the show when wife Gwen Stefani was still a coach.
Blake Shelton and wife Gwen Stefani met while filming the competition show. (Trae Patton/NBC)
After announcing his exit, Shelton admitted that he'd been itching to leave for a while.
"I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit. 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," he admitted to "Today" host Carson Daly, who also hosts "The Voice," in February 2023.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
From left: Blake Shelton, Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine were the original coaches when "The Voice" premiered. (Lewis Jacobs/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
But Shelton says there is a scenario that would intrigue him enough to return. "If they were ever able to put together the original four coaches again, maybe [I'd return] for one season, a one-off," he shared.
"That would be fun for me... That would be something I would be interested in doing," he said of reuniting with CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera and Adam Levine.
Blake Shelton was the last of the four original coaches to depart "The Voice." (Michael Desmond/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Maroon 5 frontman Levine left the show after 16 seasons, while Aguilera and Green's tenures were much shorter.
The 25th season of "The Voice" is currently airing, with coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend, Chance the Rapper and Dan + Shay.
Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to
