‘The Voice’: Blake Shelton Calls Niall Horan His ‘Son’
On March 6, season 23 of The Voice premiered on NBC. This year, Blake Shelton, Niall Horan, Kelly Clarkson, and Chance the Rapper star as coaches on The Voice. In a preview for the new season of The Voice, Shelton revealed that he calls Horan his “son” on the show.
Blake Shelton considers Niall Horan to be like his ‘son’
On Feb. 24, NBC published a featurette for season 23 of The Voice centered around Horan. The teaser showed clips of Horan on the show combined with interviews with the other judges.
One clip showed Horan walking up to Shelton and shaking his hand.
“I’m d*** proud of you, son,” Shelton tells Horan.
Horan replies, “Thank you, Dad.”
In a separate interview, Shelton explains why he started calling Horan “son” on The Voice.
“Even though he’s a threat, I’m feeling like a father/son type bond with Niall. Mostly because he disappoints me a lot,” Shelton explained.
Niall Horan and Blake Shelton seem to have a rivalry on ‘The Voice’
Even though it is early days, Shelton and Horan seem to have developed a bit of a rivalry as coaches. Given that Shelton is the longest-running coach on the show and it is Horan’s first year, Horan seems determined to one-up Shelton.
During the teaser about Horan published by NBC, Shelton admitted that Horan is a threat on the show.
“I mean, this guy came up on a show like this,” Shelton said. “He was discovered on a show like this. And then he became a member of a band through those relationships.”
In a “First Look” teaser, Horan and Shelton poked fun at one another when paired together, and Horan alluded to doing his best to shake Shelton.
“Are you going to act like you know something about country music?” Shelton asks Horan.
Horan replies, “Yeah I am. That’s my strategy to beat Kelly Clarkson.”
“That’s a good plan. That’s a good plan,” Shelton admits.
“Every time you turn, I’m going with you,” Horan tells Shelton.
“Yay,” Shelton says sarcastically while looking at the camera.
Horan then tried to gauge Shelton about what the country singer thinks of his chances of winning season 23 of The Voice.
“Do you think I’ve got a chance of beating you in your final season?” Horan asks.
“No,” Shelton says. “I would elaborate, but no.”
It is Blake Shelton’s last season on ‘The Voice’
Not only is Shelton the longest-running coach on The Voice, but he is also the only coach on season 23 to have been on every season of the show. Before season 23 of The Voice premiered, Shelton revealed that this season will be his last.
“I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after Season 23,” Shelton wrote in a statement. “This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me. It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best.”
New episodes of The Voice will continue to air on NBC on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
