Blake Shelton is opening up about his decision to retire from "The Voice."
The 46-year-old country superstar shocked fans in October when he announced that he will exit the singing competition. Shelton has been the only coach to appear in all 22 seasons of "The Voice" since it premiered in 2011. He will vacate his big red chair in the spring — a decision that he has struggled with and has been putting on hold.
"The holdup over the years has been that it's a hard thing for me to let go of," Shelton told People. "I've been here literally since the first minute. When I started on 'The Voice,' that was 10 years into my career as a country artist. I never really made it to the A-level of country artists until I became a coach. The show did a hell of a lot more for me than I brought to the table at the time. I've far exceeded anything I thought I could ever accomplish in the entertainment world."
Shelton said that after decades of focusing on his career, it was time to prioritize time with his wife, Gwen Stefani, 53, as well as her sons Kingston, 16, Zuma, 14, and Apollo, 8, who she shares with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale.
"If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I'm missing out on some more important things in life. For now, that's our kids. This isn't about me anymore and never will be again," Shelton said. He and Stefani celebrated their first wedding anniversary in July.
"Even though I'm a step parent, I take that job very seriously. The kids see me as a very important person in their life," he added. "[When they ask,] 'Why isn't Blake here?' I take that stuff to heart. I've made plenty of money, but you can't buy time back. I don't want any regrets."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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