Blake Shelton left The Voice for the most understandable reason

For 23 seasons, Blake Shelton was the one constant fans of The Voice could look forward to every season. While many talented and amazing performers would come and go from season to season, Shelton was the mainstay on The Voice panel appearing in every season of the show going all the way back to season 1. 

Shelton became the face of the franchise, not only serving as the show’s longest-running coach but also racking up a total of nine victories over the years to become the most winning coach in the show’s history. No matter who was sitting in the chairs alongside him, Shelton managed to strike up chemistry with all of his fellow coaches and was known for his fun banter with his fellow coaches which more than often included some friendly ragging of his competitors and over-the-top bits used to persuade artists to his team – not that he needed much persuading! 

Shelton’s reputation on the show preceded him and a spot on Team Blake was the dream for many artists, especially those with a love of country music. It seemed impossible to imagine the show without Shelton and, for a while, many fans expected that he would stick with the show until the end. 

Unfortunately, at the end of season 23, Shelton decided it was time to take a step back from the show with season 24 marking the show’s first season without Shelton on the coaches' panel. We’re now three seasons removed from when Shelton stopped back and while the season 26 coach roster of Reba McEntire, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, and Michael Buble is proving to be a fun mix, fans still miss Shelton and have questions about his decision to leave the show. After all, he seemed to be enjoying the show just as much in his final season as he did way back when season 1 first aired, and we know NBC would have wanted nothing more than to keep him around. 

Why did Blake Shelton leave The Voice? 

So why did Blake Shelton leave the voice after season 23? Well, the answer is not very complicated. In fact, it’s quite relatable. Shelton simply wanted to take a step back from the show to focus on his family which includes his wife Gwen Stefani who he first met while working on the show’s seventh season back in 2014, and his three stepsons Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo.

“I think being a stepdad has changed my perspective in that I’m not the first person that I think about anymore," he told Access Hollywood when addressing his decision to leave the show. "Even to the small little things when you go, ‘I think I’ll do this,’ the very next thought is always, ‘Well, wait a minute. How’s that going work?' Or, 'What will they think?' Or, 'How will that affect a schedule?'"  

“I think the only way for me to really do that right is to step away from being committed to something like The Voice that demands a lot of your time," he continued. "There’s no way around it. If you’re going to do it and do it right, you have to be 150 percent in. And I just feel like those days are behind me for now. I got a more important job."  

In stepping away, Shelton did not close the door entirely on the possibility of a return, so there is always a chance that he could someday choose to return to the series as a coach or even perhaps as a guest mentor. Given the scope of the sendoff the show gave him in season 23, it seems unlikely his return might come in the immediate future and we know for certain it won’t happen in season 27 as the coach lineup for the season has already been announced. 

Still, we can hope that one day Shelton might choose to return as a coach and we definitely can’t fault him for stepping away to focus on his family!