Blake Shelton Reveals His Least Favorite Part About Coaching ‘The Voice’

Blake Shelton has been a coach on The Voice since the show’s premiere in 2011, and in the 10 years he’s been taking part in the singing competition series, there’s always been one thing that the country star isn’t a big fan of. During an interview with Hoda Kotb on the Today show last week, Shelton opened up about his least favorite thing about being a coach, explaining that choosing contestants to go home is never fun.

“I have my favorite moments and then I have my least favorite moments. My least favorites are the battle rounds and the knockouts when it comes to my team,” he said. “Because you have these people, you beg them to be on your team and then, the very next thing do you is kick half of them off. But, that’s what makes it so great to watch as a fan of the show. I mean, that’s what keeps you on the edge of your seat. But as a coach, I hate that part.”

This season’s coaching lineup includes Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Nick Jonas alongside Shelton, and it was recently announced that Ariana Grande will serve as a coach for Season 21 in the fall. Shelton told Kotb that his favorite part of the show is the blind auditions, and he’s excited to compete with Grande when it comes to convincing contestants to join his team. “My favorite is still the blind auditions,” he revealed. “It’s so much fun that we get to hear all the singers and that’s when we really get to go for the throat, as far as the coaches competing against each other. That’s where I can’t wait to get ahold of Ariana.”

After sharing that he was “excited” to have Grande join as a coach and that he is “a fan of hers,” Shelton confirmed that he and the other coaches won’t hold back when it comes to their competitive natures. “I’m not going to lie. We’re still going to beat the crap out of her, you know, on the show,” he said. “It’s our job — they pay us to win, Hoda. They don’t pay me to lose.”

Over the years, Shelton has taken his fair share of trolling from the other coaches, something he told Kotb comes with the territory. “This is the 20th season, so I guess I had it coming,” he quipped. “I used to look like Ariana when I started the show, and now look at me. I can take it. So, it is what it is, Hoda.”