Blake Shelton Gets Real About Regrets From ‘The Voice’ And How He’s Changing The Game With ‘The Road’

Blake Shelton was the longest-serving coach on NBC’s The Voice, having guided contestants every season from 2011 through 2023 and earning nine wins along the way. While he played a monumental role in helping a slew of hopeful artists launch their careers, none have ever reached true superstar status. Looking back, Shelton admits how disappointing that reality is to him.

The country superstar recently co-hosted Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton, where he reflected on this chapter of his career and revealed how that lack of major success inspired him to start his own TV talent contest, The Road.

When Helton asked whether it bothered him that The Voice never produced a major star, Shelton didn’t hold back in his response. He acknowledged a few flaws in the show that stood out to him and explained that in his eyes, those issues ultimately kept contestants from fully thriving after their time in the competition.

He said, “It bothered me more than it bothered the TV people. It’s easy to see why. By the time the artist wins the show, they’ve already moved on to the next season.  But also, that show was more about the coaches, and that’s why it was so popular, and not as much focus on the artists.”

Now, the “Stay Country or Die Trying” singer is aiming to change that with The Road, a new TV competition series which stars Keith Urban (who also serves as executive producer) and features Gretchen Wilson as the “tour manager.”

The series follows 12 up-and-coming musicians competing for a shot at becoming country music’s next big star. In each episode, the contestants perform as opening acts for Urban at venues across the U.S., while feedback from live audiences and special guest judges, including special guests Jordan Davis, Karen Fairchild, Dustin Lynch, and Brothers Osborne, determines which artists advance to the next city in the competition.

The journey will come to an end when one lucky winner takes home a life-changing prize package: $250,000 in cash, a recording contract with Country Road Records (a division of 101 Studios in partnership with Thirty Tigers), and a performance on the iconic Mane Stage at the 2026 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California.

Thanks to Red Bull, the winner will also earn a spot at Red Bull Jukebox in Nashville. Meanwhile, the two runners-up will each receive five recording sessions at Red Bull Studio in Los Angeles.

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Shelton created the unique show concept alongside his co-executive producer, Taylor Sheridan, who he noted had a major impact on the series fans can watch on TV now.

“I met him through a mutual friend. He’s an amazing guy to work with.  He’s a creative genius. He can have a huge impact on the way a show looks. He has done a lot with music on Yellowstone, and he really wanted to be part of a music competition show,” Shelton said of Sheridan.

Once the ideas started to flow for their new show, he called up his fellow country act, Keith Urban, asking him to join them in their search for stars.

“I got Keith on the phone, and told him our idea, and we came up the same way. That’s how this show was developed. Once he heard the idea, he was in. It’s a fun way to do a show.”

Now that the show is in full swing, Helton asked Shelton if they’ve done something that really works this time, and the country act appeared confident in the show’s ability to launch new talent.

 “I think we found stars. Because they will perform an original song. Some of those original songs will take off and go viral.  Whether they win or not.  Their music will be available when the show airs, so they won’t have to wait for the end of the show to buy their music,” he explained.

THE ROAD’s extended premiere aired Sunday, Oct. 19 on the CBS Television Network. New episodes continue to air every week on the network and is also available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.