Gwen Stefani Sheds Light On Blake Shelton's Decision To Leave The Voice

When Blake Shelton announced he was leaving "The Voice," the news was met with cries of dismay from his loyal fans. Shelton broke the news on Instagram, where he didn't share an explanation for his exit. He did, however, offer viewers a modicum of comfort by letting them know that their beloved cowboy comedian was going to appear on Season 23 of the show, which premieres in March 2023.

Shelton fans flooded his Instagram post with vows to stop watching the show after he leaves and predictions that it will fail without him. However, his wife, Gwen Stefani, shared a message of support. "I am so proud of you and so blessed to have found you," she commented. "Your talent brings joy to the hearts of so many people and I am so lucky to be part of your life's journey." Unfortunately for fans hoping to watch Shelton and Stefani artfully balance being flirty and competitive one final time, they will not be co-judges during Shelton's last season. Instead, he'll be joined by his old rival, Kelly Clarkson, and two newbies, Chance the Rapper and former One Direction member Niall Horan, per TVLine.

Host Carson Daly shared his feelings about Shelton's departure with Entertainment Tonight. "I'm bummed, but I get it," he said. "We're lucky to have had him for so long because most musicians need to tour." However, when Stefani was asked about her husband's career move, she revealed that it wasn't just about other work obligations.

Gwen Stefani told Extra that Blake Shelton has been shouldering a pretty heavy workload, pointing out that he films two seasons of "The Voice" each year and squeezes a tour between them. But while this definitely played into his decision to vacate his rotating chair, Shelton might be eagerly exchanging it for a far less comfortable tractor seat. "He just wants time at his ranch, time to do the other things he loves to do," Stefani explained. However, some of her husband's leisurely activities look an awful lot like hard work. On Instagram, fans can watch Farmer Blake water down his Oliver tractor, catch snakes, cut tree branches with a chainsaw, burn brush, and bounce around in his Kubota.

Shelton is now a stepdad to Stefani's three sons from her previous marriage to Gavin Rossdale — Kingston, Zuma, and Apollo — so he also needs to make a lot more room in his schedule for family time at his Oklahoma ranch. "We have lives outside of work and it's a really good life and it's really fun," Stefani told Extra. "We plant a garden ... We are looking forward to doing some of that family stuff."

Stefani told Entertainment Tonight that everyone is asking her what gifts to get Shelton for his retirement, and she had some ingenious suggestions. "I think his favorite thing would be a bag of corn, like honestly, he would be so thrilled," she said. "Or fertilizer."