Season 23 of The Voice has come to a close, and with that, longtime host and singer Blake Shelton has departed. The final show on May 23 marked Shelton's final episode as a coach. But he didn't end up with a win, which many might have been anticipating — one big blowout for his last run. Even as former coach Adam Levine told him as Shelton made his way out to the crowd for the final time, "Don't screw it up. It's your last show" — that little bit of luck just wasn't enough.
Shelton's remaining singers, Grace West and Noivas, had two chances to net the country superstar his 10th win, which would mark the most for any coach in the history of The Voice. Instead, Niall Horan's team's Gina Miles was named the Season 23 winner, with Horan taking home the overall victory in his first season as a coach. Many fans took to social media to claim that Grace West was robbed of a win. So, about that — how does Shelton feel about losing his final season on the show? If it bothers him, he hasn't said as much. Who can blame him when NBC went all out with that star-studded reunion of his past contestants?
He took to Instagram to share a message ahead of the finale: "Couldn't have asked for two better artists to represent the final #TeamBlake! Proud of y'all!!! Let's bring home the 10th and FINAL win tonight! #TheVoice"
Unfortunately for Shelton fans, he didn't bring home that win, of course, but knowing the country star, he was probably still in good spirits as he was competing in his final show ever. His final farewell was in a lengthier post on Instagram, as he wrote:
"Can't believe it's been 23 seasons of @nbcthevoice... and especially can't believe today is my final episode. It's bittersweet. When we signed up for season 1, I don't think any of us knew what this was going to be.. These past 12 years I have made lifelong friends and memories. I've had the great opportunity to coach some really talented artists, 9 who have taken home #TeamBlake wins (let's make that 10 tonight?), and watch these artists grow so much from the show. Thank you to everyone... the crew, the coaches, the contestants, the fans, and my wife who have made these some really great years. Love y'all!!!!!!"
Shelton's been pretty quiet about his last big moment on The Voice, but he certainly went out with a bang. He might divulge his true feelings about the loss at some point in the future, but for now, it looks like he's probably just going to chill out and look back on his time hosting fondly. Not to mention relishing the fact that the "ultimate prize" he earned from his many years on the show was landing his wife, Gwen Stefani. He'll be missed, but at least we have Gwen to look forward to in Season 24.
READ MORE: Gwen Stefani's Surprised 'The Voice' Brought Her Back After Blake Shelton's Exit
