Former The Voice coach Blake Shelton made an "appearance" in the season 27 premiere of the show in celebration of Adam Levine's return.
The country music icon no longer serves as one of the main coaches of the hit singing reality competition series, but he remains a presence in its new season as he found a creative way to remind Levine of their past friendly rivalry.
Kelsea Ballerini Introduces Blake Shelton Button in Her Chair
The Voice season 27 premiere marked the debut of Kelsea Ballerini as the new coach of the hit series. With Levine also returning, she found a way to reinforce his friendly rivalry with Shelton.
In Ballerini's red chair, she included a Blake Shelton button that would play the former coach's insults against Levine.
"I have it for when I really need some backup," the new coach explained.
The button would play Shelton's iconic quotes such as "Adam’s a big baby," "Adam…won’t shut up," "Adam, you say a lot of stupid stuff," and "Adam’s a crappy Coach."
Despite Shelton's absence, his presence will still be felt throughout the seasons thanks to the new button and viewers will get some dose of Shelton and Levine's friendly rivalry even if the former is not involved as a coach.
Will Blake Shelton Return as The Voice Coach Anytime Soon?
Shelton has not shared any plans to return as The Voice coach in future seasons. It is also unlikely to happen anytime soon due to this involvement in another singing reality competition series.
"I think being a stepdad has changed my perspective in that I’m not the first person that I think about anymore," Shelton explained his decision to depart The Voice in a past interview.
"Even to the small little things when you go, ‘I think I’ll do this,’ the very next thought is always, ‘Well, wait a minute. How’s that going work?' Or, 'What will they think?' Or, 'How will that affect a schedule?'"
The former coach continued, "I think the only way for me to really do that right is to step away from being committed to something like The Voice that demands a lot of your time. There’s no way around it. If you’re going to do it and do it right, you have to be 150 percent in. And I just feel like those days are behind me for now. I got a more important job."
What do you think of Ballerini's Blake Shelton button? Let us know in the comments!
Make sure to follow our official Facebook page for more news and explainer articles about your favorite films and TV shows!