'The Voice' Fans Fear Blake Shelton Could Be Leaving the Show Soon
Blake Shelton's time on The Voice may be coming to an end, at least according to fan theories. The country superstar, who first joined the NBC singing competition as a judge and coach back in 2011 during the series premiere, recently celebrated his milestone 500th episode on the series, though the celebration was overshadowed by some fans believing Shelton is preparing to exit The Voice after 10 years.
Fans began voicing their concerns about Shelton's potential The Voice exit after the show shared a TikTok marking its 500th episode back on Oct. 26. In the clip, Shelton also celebrated the same moment for himself, noting, "I've been here for 500 episodes. I've earned it," as he enjoyed some cake. Rather than joining in on the celebration, fans flood the comments section with fears over Shelton's tenure on The Voice. One person wrote, "if Blake doesn't come back I'll stop watching for sure," with another adding, "if he leaves [the] show won't be the same. He makes the show, it's why millions watch. His humor is attractive." A third viewer commented, "Blake makes the show. If he's not on I won't watch anymore."
@nbcthevoice Blake........... #TheVoice
♬ original sound - NBC's The Voice
The concern comes after Shelton recently revealed his plans to step out of the spotlight sometime in the not-so-distant future. During an interview with Today back in March, the singer told Today co-anchor Hoda Kotb that he and now-wife Gwen Stefani want to take a step back from their busy lives, which are packed with making music, touring, and working on television.
"Well, I hope that's not too far down the road. Ten years sounds like way too long to me. I'd like to see that sooner than later," he said of a possible timeframe for his break from the limelight. "We've both pretty much taken it to the limit as far as our careers go and touring and now the television thing. It's been fortunate to accomplish a lot of things, hopefully at some point we'll get a chance to live some life. And I think we're both ready for that, honestly."
Shelton and Stefani tied the knot on July 3, 2021, at Shelton's Oklahoma ranch in a ceremony that was officiated by The Voice host Carson Daly. Thankfully for fans, neither Shelton nor Stefani have made any further indication about their plans to step out of the spotlight, so it seems the country crooner intends to remain on The Voice for at least a little while longer. The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.