Kelly Clarkson Shares What She Thinks Of Blake Shelton Leaving 'The Voice'

Blake Shelton is in the midst of his final season of The Voice, and though fellow coach Kelly Clarkson said she loves him, he promised not to back down from the competition.

Clarkson laughed as she recently caught up with Entertainment Tonight, saying “I can't stand him, but I love him. He is the ultimate coach on this show, everybody knows that. It's a loss for The Voice, but also, it's a gain for humanity, because you get to see less of him.” The original American Idol champ and beloved daytime talk show host said she “wanted to make sure I was there” for Shelton’s final season of the show. Clarkson told ET that it would be “super cool (for Shelton) to win on the last season… But, like, I'm not, like, rooting for him to win. I'll be happy for him if he does, but I'm obviously trying to win myself.”

Shelton added his praises for Team Kelly singers during a recent performance, noting that he’ll miss the music when he exits the show. The country music giant announced in October that, although he’d “been wrestling” with the decision for a while, he ultimately opted to end his run on the show.

If Team Blake emerges victorious in season 23, Shelton would reach a history-making milestone. The original coach is already the winningest coach on The Voice with nine wins, and if he secures his 10th, Shelton will be the first coach to reach double digits. Clarkson — who is also coaching this season, along with Niall Horan and Chance The Rapper — has always pledged to remain competitive in Shelton’s last season. She previously said, per NBC: “Will I go any easier on Blake knowing it's his last season? Do you know me at all? No! Do I hope secretly that he wins his last season? Maybe. But am I going to let him have it? No! I'm going to work for my Artists, and I hope they win!”

The Voice airs on NBC on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, and on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Each show is available the next day on Peacock.