Jimmy Fallon’s Prank on ‘The Voice’ Left Blake Shelton Saying, “You Can’t Do That”

Jimmy Fallon may not have the singing chops, but he sure has the charisma. The talk show host surprised the coaches of The Voice during Tuesday night’s (March 7) episode of the NBC singing competition. He managed to win over all the coaches except for one: Blake Shelton.

Fallon took to the stage during the blind auditions to perform Michael McDonald’s 1982 hit “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),” and immediately, the coaches could tell that something was off — however, that didn’t stop them from pressing their red buttons. 

Before Fallon hit the stage, host Carson Daly warned viewers, “Alright, we have a special surprise for our coaches. Right now, we have an artist preparing for the biggest performance of their entire life.”

Then came Fallon, who rocked out to the jazzy tune. Kelly Clarkson, although appearing visibly confused, was the first to turn around, followed by new coaches Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper. As their suspicions were confirmed, the coaches all dissolved into laughter and begin vibing along with the song.

But as the performance was nearing its end, Fallon approached Shelton, who still hadn’t turned his chair around. The talk show host pressed the red button for him, to which Shelton responded, “You can’t do that! You broke the rules.”

Fallon then explained that he was “across the parking lot” filming his show and congratulated Shelton on 23 seasons, given that this is the country star’s last season. Shelton responded, “Thank you, buddy,” and told Fallon that he knew “what was going on,” while giving him a hug.

In a segment following the performance, Shelton told viewers, “It didn’t take me long to figure out that it was Jimmy Fallon. And there was no way I was gonna hit my button, he does not deserve the chair turn on this show.” 

He went on to diss the comedian, adding, “Jimmy’s impersonation is the equivalent of walking up to Michael McDonald and slapping him in the face as hard as you can.”

The Voice is on Mondays and Tuesdays at 9/8c on NBC. Episodes will be available next day on Peacock.