Blake Shelton’s chair was empty, but Gwen Stefani found the sweetest way to make sure he never really felt gone. After 23 seasons, 12 years and nine victories, Blake walked away from The Voice — the very place where he and Gwen first met and where their friendship eventually became a love story. So when Gwen returned without him beside her, one tiny detail carried more emotion than any grand farewell: around her neck were two gold necklaces bearing the names “Stefani” and “Shelton.” The man she fell in love with on that stage was no longer sitting a few feet away. But his name was still resting close to her heart. Sometimes love doesn’t need a speech. Sometimes, one little necklace says everything.

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Gwen Stefani Keeps Blake Shelton Close in Her First The Voice Season Without Him

Gwen Stefani Paid Subtle Tribute to Blake Shelton on 'The Voice'

For the first time since The Voice premiered in 2011, Blake Shelton was no longer sitting in one of the show’s famous red chairs when Season 24 began. But as Gwen Stefani returned to the competition without her husband beside her, she found a subtle way to make sure a piece of him was still there.

During the Season 24 premiere, Stefani wore two gold necklaces bearing the names “Stefani” and “Shelton” — a small detail that carried extra meaning during a season defined partly by Blake’s absence. Entertainment Tonight also highlighted the jewelry as Gwen’s way of keeping her husband “close to her heart” during the Blind Auditions.

The Voice Enters a New Era Without Blake Shelton

 

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Shelton announced in October 2022 that Season 23 would be his last after an extraordinary run with the NBC competition.

He had been part of The Voice from its very first season in 2011, making him the final remaining member of the original coaching lineup. By the time he stepped away, Shelton had spent 12 years and 23 seasons on the show and accumulated a record nine victories as a coach.

His departure inevitably changed the atmosphere of the program. Shelton’s humor, competitive streak and long-running rivalries had become part of The Voice’s identity.

Season 24 therefore represented a major transition — particularly for Stefani, whose relationship with Shelton began after the two met as coaches on the show.

Gwen Stefani’s Quiet Tribute Was Hiding in Plain Sight

 

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Stefani made a striking return for Season 24 in a black-and-white checkered ensemble, finished with a high ponytail and matching bow.

But the most personal element of her appearance was around her neck.

She wore her familiar gold “Stefani” and “Shelton” necklaces, allowing her husband’s surname to remain visibly close even though Shelton himself was no longer occupying a coach’s chair.

The necklaces were not new to Gwen’s wardrobe. She had worn them before, but the circumstances made them particularly meaningful this time: Season 24 was her first season coaching without Blake beside her.

Reba McEntire joined the coaching panel for her first full season as a coach, alongside returning coaches John Legend and Niall Horan.

For longtime viewers accustomed to seeing Shelton and Stefani together on the program, that small piece of jewelry offered a quiet reminder of the relationship that unexpectedly grew out of the show.

Their Relationship Has Always Been Tied to The Voice

 

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Stefani and Shelton first met while working together as coaches in 2014. Their friendship eventually developed into a romance, and they began dating in 2015 before marrying in July 2021.

That history makes Shelton’s departure particularly significant for Gwen. The Voice was not simply another television job they happened to share — it was the place where their lives first crossed.

Stefani has previously spoken openly about how profoundly the relationship changed her life, saying that being with Blake ultimately gave her a feeling of being “home.”

Her Season 24 jewelry therefore carried an emotional connection that extended far beyond fashion.

Blake Shelton Walked Away After a Record-Setting Run

Shelton’s decision to leave came after more than a decade of building one of the most recognizable identities in The Voice history.

He had been the only coach to remain continuously from Season 1 through Season 23, ultimately leaving as the competition’s winningest coach with nine victories.

Shelton also made clear that family was becoming increasingly important to him. After years of organizing his life around the demanding production schedule, he wanted more freedom to spend time with Stefani, her three sons and the rest of his family.

His farewell at the end of Season 23 closed one of the longest chapters in the show’s history.

Yet when the cameras began rolling again for Season 24, Shelton wasn’t entirely absent.

His chair might have been gone, but around Gwen Stefani’s neck was one small reminder that “Shelton” was still very much part of her Voice story.