When Blake Shelton married Gwen Stefani in July 2021, he became an insta-dad to her three sons: Kingston, 16, Zuma, 14, and Apollo, 8, who she shares with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale. The three boys have had a big impact on him, including inspiring him to re-evaluate his career and life priorities. The “Different Man” singer recently revealed the one thing they said that made him switch course, and it’s a testament to how important they are to him.
In a new cover story for PEOPLE, The Voice coach said he’s putting his family first. “Even though I’m a stepparent, I take that job very seriously. The kids see me as a very important person in their life,” Shelton said, before revealing the gut-punch thing they said that really made him step back.
“[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,” he said. “I don’t want any regrets.”
The Barmageddon co-creator has had an illustrious two-decade career, but now he’s ready to step back and spend time with the ones he loves.
“If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I’m missing out on some more important things in life. For now, that’s our kids,” Shelton told PEOPLE. “This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again.”
When they go home to Oklahoma, Shelton feels the happiest. “We get away from everything [in L.A.], and we’re just us,” he said. “It truly does feel different. That’s where I feel the most comfortable, happy and safe.”
In August, Shelton announced he’s stepping away from The Voice.
“Look, I love music and I love The Voice,” he told ET at the time. “I love all the cool things I get to do with my job, but those things all take a backseat now to Gwen and the kids and it’s just a new phase of my life.”
In a Feb. 2022 interview with Country Countdown USA, per PEOPLE, Shelton gushed about ow much he loved his stepsons. “I didn’t know what I was signing up for, but I was all about signing up for it,” he said. “And every day I’ve fallen in love with the boys as much as I do with Gwen.”
Now the Shelton and the No Doubt singer are ready to relax. “Gwen and I have done so much traveling and touring and work the first half of our lives that now we’re like, ‘Hey, I’m good to put my sweatpants on at 6 p.m. and watch Ozark eight times,’” he told PEOPLE this week. “That’s our life now, and we love it.”