Blake Shelton blamed Kelly Clarkson for Adam Levine’s exit from The Voice as the judges fought over singers during the last evening of the show’s blind auditions.
Their interaction came after contestant Keegan Ferrell delivered a dynamic version of Maroon 5’s She Will Be Loved. His performance matched that of the former Voice coach, a domineering presence on series for 16 seasons.
Keegan’s delivery caused two out of the four coaches to turn around. Blake and Kelly faced off in their attempts to woo the singer to their team as fellow coaches John Legend and Nick Jonas watched.
“I want you to look for just a second at this coaching panel. Take note of who’s missing, and who’s in that chair,” Blake said.
“Now, I’m not saying Kelly Clarkson got Adam fired, but he’s gone, and she’s sitting there okay?” he continued.
“This network stands for ‘Nothing But Clarkson.’ If Maroon 5 inspires you, I don’t know if I would choose a coach that is their arch-nemesis,” Blake deadpanned.
His commentary appeared to irritate Kelly. She clapped back, “Oh my God, we toured together!”
Kelly and Maroon 5 toured together in 2013 for the Honda Civic Tour where Kelly was a special guest for three months.
Blake pushed for the singer to join his team
Blake would not let the issue lie, delivering a one-liner toward Kelly that would be sure to get the contestant’s attention.
“And then you got him fired,” Blake joked, before telling Keegan he would be willing to be fired if he joined his team.
Kelly continued her pitch. She claimed she had breathed the pop music genre for 20 years and would be a perfect fit for a performer who clearly found his niche in the genre.
In the end, Keegan went with Blake after expressing his feeling that the country superstar knows how to bring artists to the next level.
Did Kelly really get Adam fired?
Adam Levine announced in a lengthy Instagram statement, posted in May of 2019, that he would be exiting the NBC series.
He and Kelly had coached together through Seasons 14 and 15 before Adam revealed he would not return to the show.
““[The Voice] went on to be a life-shaping experience that will be close to my heart forever. Thank you, NBC for signing me up. I am truly honored to have been a part of something I’ll always cherish for the rest of my life.”
Adam also thanked every single coach he sat alongside, calling their shared experiences “singularly ours. We have that for life.”
These coaches included Christina Aguilera, CeeLo Green, Shakira, Usher, Gwen Stefani, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson.
The Maroon 5 frontman starred on the show as a coach since its 2012 debut. He won three times.
The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC.
Did Kelly really cause Adam to get fires?