Blake Shelton makes surprise cameo on 'The Voice' — and you'll love how he helped 'son' Niall Horan
Blake Shelton recently made a surprise appearance on 'The Voice.' Yeah, you read that right. During the recent episode of 'The Voice' Season 28, the longtime coach who retired from the NBC show in May 2023, showcased his support for Niall Horan, whom he considers his 'son.' In a round of blind auditions, coach Michael Bublé tried to be a little braggy, and Horan didn't like it, so he took Shelton's help to shut him down. The hilarious interaction between the two coaches saw the light of day when artist Kenny Iko took over the stage to impress the coaches with his beautiful falsetto as he sang 'Versace On The Floor' by Bruno Mars.
Then, Bublé didn't turn his chair for Kenny. According to NBC, when Bublé was asked to share his feedback on Iko's blind audition, the Grammy-winning musician told the artist, "I feel like you mighta been a real good chance for me to have a three-peat," while referring to the fact that he previously served as the coach to the winning artists of the past two seasons including season 26 winner Sofronio Vasquez and season 27 winner Adam David.
On the other hand, Horan, who coached the winning artists of season 23 (Gina Miles) and season 24 (Huntley), pressed his red button, and shortly after, the studio audience heard Shelton's iconic Southern drawl: "I don't give a crap about a three-peat." As everyone burst out into laughter, Horan looked at the sky and asked, "My father! Is that you?" Following that, Horan smashed the red button again to replay the soundbite. Soon after, Horan went on to say, "I miss you dad. I know you’re back there in Oklahoma, harvesting some fields or something..."
In an interview with NBC Insider at the start of 'The Voice' Season 23, Horan candidly spoke about his great relationship with Shelton. "Blake, he’s like a dad to me. Y’know, he’s really helped me during the show. I’ve really enjoyed his company, and watching him has been a real honor," he said, adding that "it's been amazing" to work with him and Kelly Clarkson. "It's been so funny to dive into that Southern sense of humor with them and see the stuff that goes on behind-the-scenes. It's been hilarious," Horan told the media outlet at that time.
During a separate interview with NBC Insider, Horan stated how Shelton guided him through the process. At that point, Horan said, "I learned a lot from Blake last year sitting next to him...Nothing that he said. Just watching how he does it. I think that made a lot of difference to how I've been in the show this year." In an early episode of 'The Voice' Season 28, Bublé tried to tease Horan by jokingly calling him 'son.' To that, Horan said, "I'm Blake's son. I always will be."