Gwen Stefani pays tribute to Blake Shelton's legacy on 'The Voice' finale: 'Changed people's lives'

Gwen Stefani was the proudest wife ever as she showered her husband, Blake Shelton, with love as he bid farewell to 'The Voice' after 23 seasons, 12 years and nine wins. On May 22, Stefani posted a video on Instagram, celebrating Shelton's lasting legacy on the show.

"Who would have thought that this Orange County girl and this country guy from Oklahoma would find each other on the set of The Voice," Stefani said in the video. "When I first came on the show, our lives were having this parallel destruction happening," she added, referring to their separate divorces, "and then next thing you know, Blake and I start becoming besties and falling in love."

She added, "To find my soulmate, it's hard for me to even talk about it without getting super emotional. The craziest thing about being on 'The Voice' with Blake is that it led to me doing country. 23 seasons, he has truly changed people's lives. 'The Voice' is going to go on but Blake's legacy will be there forever. 'The Voice' is the reason that I met Blake Shelton and my life completely changed after that. Blake have a great finale, we love you and I'll see you at home."

Shelton also reflected on his own journey during these two decades in a recent Instagram post. "Can't believe it's been 23 seasons of @nbcthevoice... and especially can't believe today is my final episode," he captioned a carousal of pictures of himself through these years, reported PEOPLE.

"It's bittersweet. When we signed up for season 1, I don't think any of us knew what this was going to be... These past 12 years I have made lifelong friends and memories. I've had the great opportunity to coach some really talented artists, 9 who have taken home #TeamBlake wins (let's make that 10 tonight?), and watch these artists grow so much from the show," Shelton wrote. He ended the post by saying, "Thank you to everyone... the crew, the coaches, the contestants, the fans, and my wife who have made these some really great years. Love y'all!!!!!!"

Shelton shared his thoughts on his wife's return earlier this month. "Well, I'm happy," he said. "When I finally came to the conclusion that I was going to call it a day last year, you know, she even said, 'Well, I guess they probably won't have me back ever again.' And I go, 'What are you talking? They invited you to be a coach for seasons before you and I were ever thing.' And she goes, 'Oh, yeah, that's right. They did do that.' I go. 'Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're still going to want Gwen Stefani to be a coach.' Then sure enough, you know, she's already gonna be back and she was excited to get the call."

Shelton announced his exit from the show in October last year. He said, "I've made lifelong bonds with Carson and every single one of my fellow coaches over the years, including my wife, Gwen Stefani! I have to give a huge shoutout to the singers – the 'Voices' who come on this stage season after season and amaze us with their talent and a special thanks to those who chose me to be their coach. Lastly, it's about y'all, the fans, who watch and support these artists, us coaches and everyone at 'The Voice' chasing their dreams. It wouldn't happen without you!"