• Blake Shelton announced earlier this week that season 23 of The Voice will be his final.
• Since the programme’s start in 2011, only Shelton has appeared in every season.
• John Legend says he and Shelton will not spend his final season together as he plans on taking season 23 off.

The Voice judge Blake Shelton will be missed by John Legend, the singer admits in an interview

Earlier this week, Blake Shelton made the announcement on social media that season 23 of the programme will be his final. Since the start of the programme in 2011, only Shelton from the initial coaching staff has appeared in every season.

“He’s been doing the show for 22 seasons, it’ll be 23 when he’s done, and you can’t do something forever,” said the All of Me singer.

“We’re going to miss him though, he has been the heart and the anchor and the soul of the show for a long time, and he’s a friend of mine and I really enjoy working with him,” added the R&B singer, 43. “We’re all going to miss him.”

According to Legend, he and Shelton will not spend the country crooner’s final season together, as he explained to ET that he plans on taking season 23 off next year.

“My family’s growing, I have a new album out, I’m going to do a little bit of touring, so it’s probably better that I take a break,” he said of his upcoming schedule.

“I’ll be back on The Voice, just not this coming season,” Legend added.

While making the announcement, Shelton wrote a heartfelt note sharing his experience over the past 12 years.

“This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best. It takes a lot of work, passion, and adult beverages (Ha!) to pull off a live show twice a week.”

[embedpost slug=”/blake-shelton-gwen-stefani-is-still-listed-on-his-phone-as-my-girlfriend/”]