As The Voice season 23 came to a close, so did Blake Shelton’s tenure on the show. To show her support during her husband’s final episode, Gwen Stefani sent in a video message and talked about falling in love with Blake while filming The Voice.
“When I first came on the show, our lives were having this parallel destruction happening, and then the next thing you know, Blake and I are becoming besties and falling in love,” Gwen said in her finale video. “To find my soulmate, it’s hard for me even to talk about it without getting emotional.”
She continued, “Twenty-three seasons, he has truly changed people’s lives. The Voice is going to go on, but Blake’s legacy will be there forever… The Voice is the reason that I met Blake Shelton, and my life completely changed after that. Blake, have a great finale. We love you, and I’ll see you at home.”
After watching Gwen’s video message, Blake admitted that he and Gwen talk about their amazing love story at least once a week. He gushed that meeting Gwen is the “greatest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life.”
Blake and Gwen owe their entire relationship to The Voice, as they met and fell in love while they were both coaches on the show. While Blake has been part of the show since its inaugural season in 2011, Gwen made her first appearance during season 7 in 2014. It wasn’t until season 9 in 2015, though, that the two formed a romantic connection. At the time, Blake was recently divorced from Miranda Lambert, and Gwen was newly single after her divorce from Gavin Rossdale. They bonded over their mutual heartbreak and quickly became a couple.
After five years of dating, Blake proposed to Gwen in October 2020, and they got married the following July. In October 2022, Blake announced his decision to leave The Voice once the 23rd season came to a close. In addition to focusing on his music career and other work projects, Blake has also said that he wants to devote more time to Gwen and their family after leaving the show. He has stepped up as a stepdad to Gwen’s three sons since getting serious with the singer.
However, Gwen has already announced her plans to return to The Voice. She’ll be back in her red chair as a coach for season 24 alongside Reba McEntire, Niall Horan, and John Legend. This will be Gwen’s 7th time coaching on the show, as she also appeared during seasons 12, 17, 19 and 22.
Blake has had quite a run on The Voice, winning 9 of the 22 seasons he’s coached so far. In the season 23 finale, Blake has two artists remaining in the competition: NOIVAS and Grace West. They are up against the other three artists — D. Smooth (Team Kelly Clarkson), trio Sorelle (Team Chance the Rapper), and Gina Miles (Team Niall) — in the finale. All five artists performed for America’s votes one last time during the May 22 episode, and will learn their fate at the end of the finale episode.