Blake Shelton prepares to bid farewell to ‘The Voice’

By Dan Heching, CNN

(CNN) — After 445 episodes, 23 seasons and 12 years, Blake Shelton is saying goodbye to “The Voice.”

The country star, who has been a coach on the NBC singing competition series since its inception in 2011, marked his last taping on the show with an emotional Instagram post on his verified account on Tuesday, calling the moment “bittersweet.”

“When we signed up for season 1, I don’t think any of us knew what this was going to be,” Shelton wrote. “These past 12 years I have made lifelong friends and memories.”

One of those lifelong friends, of course, is wife and fellow “Voice” coach Gwen Stefani, whom he met on the show in 2014. The pair married in 2021.

Shelton also made sure to acknowledge the up-and-coming singers he’s mentored during his “Voice” tenure, writing, “I’ve had the great opportunity to coach some really talented artists, 9 who have taken home #TeamBlake wins,” adding how nice it’s been to “watch these artists grow so much from the show.”

“Thank you to everyone,” Shelton concluded, adding “the crew, the coaches, the contestants, the fans, and my wife who have made these some really great years.”

“The Voice” Season 23 concludes Tuesday night with part two of its live finale, revealing which coach’s team – newcomers Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan, alongside returning coaches Kelly Clarkson and Shelton – will prove victorious.

Last week, NBC announced that Reba McEntire will join the panel of coaches for Season 24 of the show with Stefani, John Legend and Horan.

“The Voice” airs live at 9 p.m. EST/PST on NBC.

The-CNN-Wire
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