Blake Shelton Sets NBC Return After Leaving ‘The Voice’

Blake Shelton has set his official return to NBC, after leaving The Voice earlier this year. Hello Magazine has revealed that Shelton will attend the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards on September 28, where he is a nominee in multiple categories. The big event is being held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and will air on NBC.

The Voice Season 23, was Shelton’s last, which he announced back in October. “It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best,” The country music superstar wrote in an Instagram post. “It takes a lot of work, passion, and adult beverages (Ha!) to pull off a live show twice a week.”

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He continued, “I have to give a huge shoutout to the singers-the ‘voices,’ who come on this stage season after season and amaze us with their talent and a special thanks to those who chose me to be their coach. It’s about y’all, the fans, who watch and support these artists, us coaches and everyone at The Voice who are chasing their dreams. It would not happen without you!”

Earlier this year, Shelton opened up and revealed one of the main reasons why he chose to exit The Voice after being a coach for 23 seasons. During an appearance on Today, Shelton explained that it was the COVID-19 pandemic that first sparked his motivation for moving on. “I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit,” the singer-turned-competition judge stated. 

Shelton went on to say, “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. I’ll stay here until the world kind of gets back to normal again.” The songwriter then joked that there is one thing that could get him to return for Season 24, after his final season, which is coming soon to NBC. “I’d like for Kelly to not be on the show anymore,” he quipped. “I just think there’s too much Kelly Clarkson on television, in general.”

In May, Shelton officially ended his years-long run on The Voice, but his tenure ended with a heartwarming surprise. During The Voice, many of the contestants who competed under Shelton’s guidance returned to pay tribute to their coach. The group — which included winners such as Cassadee Pope and Todd Tilghman — sang Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” to Shelton, as a collage of his time on the show played on a screen.