On October 11, Blake Shelton announced he is leaving The Voice after Season 23 ends in 2023. The news came as a shock to fans, since Shelton is the only coach to appear on ever season of the show.
Shelton opened up about his choice to leave The Voice in a new cover story for PEOPLE. He said it was “a hard thing for [him] to let go of” the show because it’s been a huge part of his life for so long. But now he wants to spend as much time as possible with his wife, Gwen Stefani, and her three sons, Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo.
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“If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I’m missing out on some more important things in life,” Shelton said. “For now, that’s our kids. This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again.“
Shelton opened up about being a stepfather, and how much that means to him:
“Even though I’m a stepparent, I take that job very seriously,” he said. “The kids see me as a very important person in their life. [When they ask,] ‘Why isn’t Blake here?’ I take that stuff to heart. I’ve made plenty of money, but you can’t buy time back. I don’t want any regrets.”
Once he’s done on The Voice, Shelton is looking forward to enjoying some downtime with his family at home in Oklahoma:
“I’ve had people say, ‘Man, come on. You’re not quitting The Voice [to do] nothing!’” he said. “But I really am…It’s time to push some of this [work] stuff out and let more family and personal life in.“
Watch the video below to hear Shelton speak more about being a stepdad. We wish him the best after he leaves The Voice…though he’ll certainly be missed!