Here’s What Blake Shelton Has to Say About Reba McEntire Replacing Him on ‘The Voice’

Blake Shelton is preparing for his swan song on The Voice, as he wraps 23 seasons of being a coach on the singing competition. Reba McEntire is gearing up to take his place starting in season 24, and Shelton has no doubts that she will make a fine replacement.

“Well, there’s a couple of things about Reba that makes her so special. First of all, she’s just so authentic,” he said of the “Does He Love You” singer in a Monday interview with Extra. “I don’t know anybody country, or on the planet, [who is more authentic than] Reba, and that’s just the truth, but the other thing is her talent. … She was born with this raw, natural talent that’s just unbelievable.”

He continued, “People will finally maybe start to realize what an incredible vocalist she is. I shouldn’t say that; millions of us already know that. But so many more people are going to realize what an incredible vocalist she is because she’s going to, as a coach on this show, perform at times, you know, and it’s just, it’s shocking what an incredible singer she is.”

In addition to Reba, Shelton’s wife, Gwen Stefani, will also be on next season’s coaching panel. “Gwen’s got a lot of reasons to keep coming back to The Voice. First and foremost I know she absolutely loves this job and she’s always excited and a little bit shocked when they call and ask her and invite her to come back again,” he said of Stefani’s return. “I’m going, ‘Why? Why are you surprised by this? Of course they want you!’”

As for Shelton himself, he’s happy to be taking a step back to focus on his own endeavors: “I just think it’s time for what’s next in my life.”

The Voice season 24 coaches are McEntire, Stefani, Niall Horan and John Legend.

Watch Shelton’s full interview with Extra in the video above.