'The Voice' Coach Blake Shelton Lobbies Producers To Allow Gwen Stefani To Return In Season 10

As NBC’s “The Voice” Season 9 draws to a close, the coaches are already looking ahead to the next run of the hit reality competition. Before naming one of the remaining four contestants the winner, some coaches are hoping things won’t have to change on the show in Season 10.

During a press conference for the two-part finale of the 2015 competition, host and executive producer Carson Daly was asked if the show would ever consider adding a fifth coach to the series to spice things up in Season 10. According to E! Online, former “The Voice” coach Christina Aguilera is returning to the show next season to replace Gwen Stefani, who took over for the “Beautiful” singer during Season 9.

Us Weekly reports that, while Daly avoided the idea of adding a fifth judges chair, he noted that “The Voice” looks at each of its coaches like a family member that’s always welcome back. However, Stefani’s new boyfriend and fellow coach Blake Shelton was much more interested in securing a spot on the show for Stefani to make a speedy return.

“Yeah, but as a producer, is she coming back to Season 11?” Shelton jokingly interrupted. “As an executive producer, Carson, I mean…”

Daly joked back saying that Stefani is always welcome, prompting Shelton to drop the subject. However, it was one of the rare occasions in which the couple’s recently revealed relationship made its way into their work on “The Voice.”

As previously reported, the duo got together not long after their respective divorces. Shelton split from his wife of four years, Miranda Lambert, and very quickly started dating his co-star following her split from musician Gavin Rossdale. Although their romance has been going strong since they announced that they’re dating, they’ll be competing head-to-head during “The Voice” Season 9 finale Tuesday night when Blake’s singers, Barrett Baber and Emily Ann Roberts, go up against Stefani’s Jeffery Austin and Adam Levine’s Jordan Smith.