As The Voice season 23 comes to an end with newly crowned winner Gina Miles, fans also said goodbye to the sole original judge who has been with the show from the very beginning, Blake Shelton. The final night of The Voice season 23 was a huge night filled with surprises, gratitude and the promise of more excitement in the future with new judges.
The biggest news of the night, of course, was the revelation that Gina Miles took home the title and handed freshman judge Niall Horan his first Voice victory. The Top 5 featured two artists from Team Blake and one artist each from Team Niall, Team Chance (Chance the Rapper) and Team Kelly (Kelly Clarkson).
With Shelton stepping away from the show after season 23, The Voice found a very suitable replacement in fellow country legend Reba McEntire. McEntire served as a guest judge this season and will join returning judges John Legend and Gwen Stefani in season 24. Horan will also be back for his sophomore run on the show.
Leading up to the finale, The Voice paid tribute to their longest-serving judge, who issued a statement about what the show has meant to him. “I’ve been wrestling with this for a while,” he said, “and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after season 23. 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.”
In past seasons, Shelton and Stefani — who met on the show and eventually married — served as judges together, with Stefani stepping away from the show on occasion as she performed at her Las Vegas residency. Now the table — or chair — has turned, and Stefani will return without Shelton.
To celebrate Shelton’s big moment, Stefani posted a video of the “big party” she hosted on Monday night that included a few friends having dinner at famed Los Angeles eatery Casa Vega.
Though grateful, Shelton was clearly thinking that his wife was planning something a bit bigger. “You lied to me,” he said with a good natured smile.
