When Blake Shelton announced he wouldn’t be returning to The Voice after this season, he was putting a 12-year commitment to rest. In doing so, he nearly broke the internet as his loyal fanbase expressed their gratitude for making the show stick. Now, he’s expressing his gratitude for what the show did for him.
“The holdup over the years has been that it’s a hard thing for me to let go of. I’ve been here literally since the first minute. When I started on The Voice that was 10 years into my career as a country artist. I never really made it to the A-level of country artists until I became a coach,” he said in his latest interview.
The show did a hell of a lot more for me than I brought to the table at the time. I’ve far exceeded anything I thought I could ever accomplish in the entertainment world,” he continued. It wasn’t an easy decision for the 46-year-old, who is looking forward to rebalancing his life with his wife, Gwen Stefani, and her three kids.
Blake Shelton started dating Gwen Stefani in late 2015. They were both going through a divorce at the time, which they bonded over while taping the ninth season of The Voice – they were both coaches on the show. The couple announced their engagement in 2020 and got married in Oklahoma in July 2021.
“The relationship that we have is so natural and so normal. This feels like the easiest thing I’ve ever been a part of. To me, she’s my best friend and everything that I need and lean on,” said Shelton of his wife, adding he feels much more ‘settled’ now than ever before and is ready to spend more time with family.
By family, he’s referring to his wife’s three children – 16-year-old Kingston, 13-year-old Zuma, and 8-year-old Apollo – from a past relationship with Gavin Rossdale. While he never had children of his own and doesn’t plan on having any with Gwen, he’s enjoying his role as a step-parent and takes it seriously.
“Even though I’m a stepparent, I take that job very seriously. The kids see me as a very important person in their life. [When they ask,] ‘Why isn’t Blake here?’ I take that stuff to heart. I’ve made plenty of money, but you can’t buy time back. I don’t want any regrets,” he continued in the interview with PEOPLE.
Blake Shelton Premieres New Game Show Called ‘Barmageddon’
In case you haven’t heard, Blake Shelton has a new bar-themed game show that pins two celebrities up against one another in five pub games. The first episode aired on Monday with Shelton going up against Kane Brown. Gwen Stefani will be going up against Sheryl Crow for the second episode next week.
The idea came to him during the COVID-19 pandemic – an idea he took to his good friend, Carson Daly. “I’ve been media trained, but I wasn’t cut from that cloth ever, and Carson is so good at capturing that personality of being in the moment. He was the perfect guy for me to do this thing with and learn from.”
The two brought on WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella as the game show host, with the games being played inside the Ole Red bar in Nashville, TN – one of the bars owned by Shelton. Other celebrities you’ll see in the show include Jimmie Johnson, Jay Pharoah, Brie Bella, Sasha Banks, Trace Adkins, and more.
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The show will air every Monday on USA Network from now until January 17th – when the seventh and final episode of the first season comes to an end. For now, Blake Shelton is going to enjoy spending time with his family and taking a break from the constant traveling, constant touring, and constant work.