Before Blake Shelton announced that the upcoming season of The Voice would be his last, there was some speculation that being a coach for the hopeful up-and-comers had lost a bit of its shine for the cowboy. The past couple of seasons have seen Shelton showing some frustration over some aspects of the competition, and he had started to hint that the end would come “sooner than later.” As new details emerge about the country singer’s impending exit, rumors have also started to swirl about potential tension between him and wife Gwen Stefani. Let’s take a look at what’s being said.
Did Behind-The-Scenes Drama Play Into Blake Shelton’s Decision To Leave The Voice?
When Blake Shelton calls it quits following Season 23, he will be the only coach of The Voice to have stayed with the show since its premiere in 2011. That many years with any job is commendable, but there’s no doubt it’s been taxing, filming two seasons a year (with the lone exception of Spring 2022). According to a Radar insider, the show has changed over time, and the off-camera friction has become too much, as they reported:
He’s been suffering from burnout. He loves being the star of The Voice, but there’s so much drama going on behind the scenes — allegations of racism last season, competing with other coaches over singers, backstabbing, and the tight filming schedule combined with his tour dates — it just all became overwhelming for him.
The Voice drew criticism in Season 22, when the eight semifinalists were split into the top four, who automatically moved on to the finale, and the bottom four, who would compete for the fifth and final spot. All four of the top vote-getters were white, while the four competing for the Instant Save were all people of color. Blake Shelton had three artists in that Top 4 group.
However, that incident happened during December’s live shows — months after Blake Shelton’s announcement — and as far as fighting over artists, Shelton was as guilty of “backstabbing” as anyone, when he put his marriage to Gwen Stefani to the test by stealing one of her artists. That brings up another interesting question, as rumors are also circulating about the adorable couple.
Trouble In Paradise For Blake Shelton And Gwen Stefani?
Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton expressed multiple times how ecstatic they were to be working together on The Voice as a married couple and shared a number of sweet moments while the cameras were rolling. However, Radar reported that some in attendance at NASCAR’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum in Los Angeles on February 5 got a different impression, as separate observers said, “They looked miserable,” and, “Things just seemed really tense.” An alleged “pal” of the duo reported:
When they started dating, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. But the spark started disappearing after their wedding. It seems like they argue constantly now — they’ve even slept in separate bedrooms after particularly bad fights. Friends are worried Gwen and Blake are falling out of love.
Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani celebrated their first wedding anniversary in Summer 2022, and the couple are unfailingly complimentary of each other, even when forced to battle it out at coaches on The Voice. Radar’s insider, however, suggested it was all an act for the cameras, continuing:
[They] played it sweet for the cameras as when they were both coaches, but behind the scenes, there was sometimes a clash of egos. He would often get all the attention. And that would hit a nerve — she was jealous.
Blake Shelton’s level of celebrity on The Voice is unquestioned, but whether or not that made his wife jealous we’ll likely never know for sure. There’s no way to tell if these are just rumors or if there really might be some trouble for the “Happy Anywhere” singers.
We’re not likely to get any clues when the singing competition resumes, either, as Gwen Stefani will not appear alongside her husband for Season 23. Rather, Kelly Clarkson will be back, and the two winningest coaches will welcome newcomers Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper to join them in the Big Red Chairs. Tune in for the premiere at 8 p.m. ET Monday, March 6, on NBC, and check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon.