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Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani connected during NBC’s The Voice Season 7, and they turned out to be the perfect match. The country singer and the rock star were going through parallel divorces when they initially met, which only served to strengthen their bond. Now, Shelton’s stepping away from coaching The Voice Season 24 while Stefani is stepping back into the spotlight. Here’s what Shelton said about why Stefani thought NBC wouldn’t want her without him.

Gwen Stefani didn’t think NBC would want her coaching ‘The Voice’ without Blake Shelton

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are two huge names in music, and many fans didn’t see a romance coming for The Voice coaches. The two met and connected while working on the NBC series in 2014. Stefani was going through a divorce with Gavin Rossdale, and Shelton and Miranda Lambert were also in the middle of their split. When their respective marriages ended, Shelton and Stefani connected on a romantic level. Now, fans love to see both of them on The Voice stage.

Sadly, fans said goodbye to Shelton at the end of The Voice Season 23. He announced his exit when the season began. But viewers can look forward to seeing Stefani get back on stage as a coach, though Shelton noted Stefani didn’t think NBC would want her without him.

“When I finally came to the conclusion that I was going to call it a day, last year, she even said, ‘Well, I guess they probably won’t have me back ever again, then,’” Shelton said during a red carpet interview, according to Circle All Access. “And I go, ‘What are you talking about? You know they had you, they invited you to be a coach for seasons before you and I were ever a thing.’ And she was like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s right. They did do that.’”

Shelton then commented on Stefani returning to coach for season 24. “And then, sure enough, she’s already going to be back,” he added. “She was excited to get the call.”

Gwen Stefani is coaching ‘The Voice’ Season 24 without Blake Shelton

Gwen Stefani standing next to Blake Shelton while he sits in his chair on 'The Voice'
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’ | Tyler Golden/NBC via Getty Images
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Gwen Stefani is excited to return to coach The Voice Season 24, but fans will certainly miss Blake Shelton. The other season 24 coaches include Niall Horan, John Legend, and Reba McEntire. This also means that Kelly Clarkson and Chance the Rapper aren’t returning for now.

McEntire is taking over for Shelton. Rumors suggest Stefani isn’t excited for McEntire’s debut as a coach, especially because the country superstar is taking Shelton’s throne. “Gwen is gunning for Reba” so she “falls in line,” a source alleged to Radar Online.

Given this circulating rumor, it seems likely that Stefani and McEntire will enter the season on the friendliest terms possible to avoid spreading the information further.

Fans already want to see changes next season

NBC’s The Voice Season 24 is certainly happening, and fans want to see changes after everything that went down in season 23. The Playoff Pass has been a huge source of conflict amongst viewers. Many fans want to see NBC do away with the advantage, as it pushes some singers forward to the playoffs so they can avoid early eliminations.

“Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the Playoff Pass,” a fan on Reddit stated. “I don’t think that excluding someone from an entire week’s performance/airtime is doing that person any favors.”

Other contestants want to see more live voting happen for the audience. “I think the biggest thing they need to do is provide more weeks with viewer input/voting,” another fan wrote. “Give us time to feel emotionally invested in the artists. They are more likely to produce a Carrie Underwood or Kelly Clarkson that way.”

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