Blake Shelton is leaving The Voice after Season 23. The 46-year-old country crooner announced Monday that he will be departing the show following his 12th season as a mentor.
Blake Shelton is saying goodbye to The Voice.
After the show’s 23rd season, he won’t be returning as a coach. “I cannot in good conscience continue to watch what’s become of it,” Shelton told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Tuesday. “It’s not me. It’s not who I am.”
“I don’t know how much better I can make this show or make these people around me better,” he said. “The only thing that could really be done would be to start over and do something completely different.”
Shelton made the announcement Monday on Twitter, saying he will be replaced by two new judges: actor/musician Billy Ray Cyrus, who was born in Tennessee and raised in Arkansas; and Miley Cyrus’s sister Noah Cyrus (no relation to Billy Ray).
Blake Shelton wants A Fresh Start
“I have loved every second of being a part of The Voice,” Shelton said in a statement provided to CNN Business. “The producers and I had an idea for this season that we thought would be cool if it actually happened but didn’t think would happen. We’re really excited about it.” He did not explain what those ideas were or why they wouldn’t work out this year — but he did hint that there are more exciting changes yet to come during season 23.
It’s been a long time since Blake Shelton has been on The Voice, so many fans are wondering how they’ll handle his departure. However, based on the reactions from other coaches and viewers alike, it seems like everyone will miss him quite a bit. It’s important to remember that he’s been with the show for an incredibly long time—since season 3 in 2013. In fact, he has been one of the most successful coaches in The Voice history!
That’s saying something given that only two other coaches have won as many seasons as him (Adam Levine and Brad Paisley). And even though there aren’t any details about what exactly caused this decision for Blake Shelton this year (he just said he was leaving), it does seem like we’re going to be seeing less of him when the show returns next spring.
