Fans of “The Voice” are buzzing after the show revealed details about its upcoming season, but one glaring question remains: will Blake Shelton return? The long-time coach and record-holder for most wins on the series won’t be part of the newly announced “The Voice: Battle of Champions” season, leaving social media full of reactions ranging from disappointment to outright demands for a Blake cameo.
Details on ‘The Voice’ Season 29
As NBC has previously announced, the show had been renewed for season 29. However, this new season would be different, thanks to a change in the show’s format.
This new season would be called “The Voice: Battle of Champions.” It will see three veteran coaches fight for the title of best coach on “The Voice.” The returning coaches for season 29 will be Kelly Clarkson, Adam Levine, and John Legend, and the season premieres on Monday, February 23, 2026, on NBC.
NBC has now announced when “The Voice: Battle of Champions” will premiere on its Instagram page, but it also got fans chatting. They were thrilled to get a new season so soon. However, many were upset that OG coach Shelton, who left the series in May 2023, was not taking part in this new twist.
It does come as a shock that “The Voice” would be having a “Battle of Champions,” but then the coach with the most wins isn’t on the show?
During his time on the show, Blake won a record-breaking nine times. His last win came during season 22, when he helped Bryce Leatherwood win the trophy in December 2022.
As far as the confirmed coaches for “The Voice” season 29, they have a combined total of eight wins. We have seen Kelly win four times, Adam won three times, and John won one time during season 16.
Why Isn’t Blake Shelton Coming Back to ‘The Voice’?
While fans are upset that Blake won’t be returning to “The Voice” for season 29, he does have a lot on his plate already. Blake will be doing a Las Vegas residency in early 2026. That would make it difficult to film season 29 at the same time.
In addition, he is a co-creator of the new singing competition on CBS, called “The Road.”
Shelton has made his way back to “The Voice” since his departure. So, he may not be back as a coach for season 29, but he could always make an appearance during “The Voice: Battle of Champions.”
Fans React to Blake News
It does seem odd that Blake won’t be on the show, but we understand schedules are packed. The fans still want him on the show.
One user wrote, “BLAKE BETTER BE COMING BACK! ❤️” Another person brought up a good point, “Champion season should include Blake Shelton. He has won the most and he was asked to come back. 😢”
The Blake love continued, as a third person wrote, “Blake is the king I can see Kelly but but Legend and Levine ????” One last fan wrote, “I don’t understand why Blake ain’t in front line for this show. He’s the ultimate champion of all these coaches. He’s the real McCoy.”
“The Voice” airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC, with episodes available to stream the next day on Peacock.
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I can’t stand Adam Levin. Hated him on all the times he was a coach. Wife cheaters need to stay in their own lane, far away from the Voice!