‘The Voice’: Blake Shelton Admits He’s ‘Shook Up’ Over His Last Blind Audition

Blake Shelton didn’t expect to get as “shook up” as he did during The Voice‘s Blind Auditions on his final season of the NBC singing competition. Tuesday’s episode marked the final night of the Blind Auditions of Season 23, which means it was Shelton’s final time pressing his button to compete for Team Blake’s final member. 

Shelton went to bat for 19-year-old Grace West after her performance of Pam Tillis’ “Maybe It Was Memphis” that had both the country star and Niall Horan turning their chairs, but it was Shelton West decided to go with in the end, making her the last member of Team Blake ever. It was a milestone moment for the “God’s Country” singer and one that made him more emotional than he expected.

“I gotta tell you, I’m sitting here talking about Grace right now, but my heart swells up, thinking about my journey on this show,” Shelton admitted to cameras following the Blind Auditions segment. “Twenty-three seasons, and for the last artist, for me to hit this button for [the final time], I didn’t let it take over, I didn’t show any emotion, but I did get a little bit shook up.”

Carson would later open up to host and longtime friend Carson Daly about the past 12 years they’ve had together on The Voice and his emotional state after putting a bow on his final Voice team. “I knew coming into this, I would try to take all of those moments in,” he explained. “It’s going by so fast, so when I said that out loud, it became real.”

Shelton announced in October his plans to leave The Voice after Season 23. “It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns,” he wrote as part of a lengthy tribute to everyone who makes The Voice happen week after week. “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!” The Voice airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.