Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and John Legend are back in the red chairs for “The Voice” season 29, but they admit one major change has reshaped the competition: Blake Shelton is no longer in the mix.
During a press junket ahead of “The Voice: Battle of Champions,” the returning Coaches opened up about how Shelton’s absence affected the Blind Auditions and overall strategy this season.
Season 29 features a panel of all former winners. Clarkson, Levine, and Legend have each won previous seasons, raising the stakes as they build their teams under a revamped format that includes new rules and a new voting system.
Despite the changes, the coaches said Shelton’s departure stood out immediately.
“In the absence of the cowboy, it made it so the country [artists] were more evenly distributed,” Legend explained.
Country Artists Evenly Distributed in ‘The Voice’ Season 29
For years, Shelton, who has won the show nine times, dominated recruiting country artists. Without him, Clarkson, Levine, and Legend said they had a more balanced opportunity during the Blind Auditions.
“It was even, which it usually is not,” Clarkson said. “And we all had a chance at country.”
“We did,” Levine agreed.
Clarkson even jokingly addressed Shelton directly during the event. “Hi, Blake!” she laughed toward the camera.
Levine added with a playful tone, “Hi, Blake! You’re stupid! Hey, stupid Blake!”
Clarkson and Legend laughed, underscoring the longtime rivalry between Levine and Shelton, who served as a coach for the first 23 seasons of the NBC competition before exiting in 2023.
Blake Shelton’s Legacy Still Looms Over ‘The Voice’
Although Shelton has moved on from “The Voice,” his legacy remains part of the show’s culture. Shelton holds the record for the most wins, with nine victories across his tenure.
His reputation for doing whatever it took to land an artist also continues to be referenced.
During the season 29 premiere, 16-year-old Liv Ciara performed Ariana Grande’s “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” and earned chair turns from Clarkson and Levine. When Ciara mentioned she was from St. Louis, Levine quickly said, “Me too!” despite being from Los Angeles.
“Do you want a liar for a Coach?” Clarkson asked after Levine admitted he was not from St. Louis.
“He’s in Blake’s old chair. It rubs off,” Legend joked.
Ciara ultimately chose Clarkson, who previously coached Brynn Cartelli to a win in season 14 after Cartelli re-auditioned following an earlier rejection.
Shelton’s history of stretching the truth even became a storyline during his final season, when he took a lie detector test on the show. When asked if his wife, Gwen Stefani, married him out of pity, Shelton responded, “Probably,” and the device indicated he was telling the truth.
In a 2023 interview with NBC Insider, Clarkson reflected on working with Shelton.
“The best part about working with Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’ is you laugh a lot. He’s one of the funniest people I know. He’s hysterical,” Clarkson said. “The worst thing about working with Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’ is… he is a liar.”
New episodes of “The Voice” air Mondays at 9/8c on NBC and stream the next day on Peacock.
