The couple first met when Gwen joined the show in season 7.
Blake Shelton is saying goodbye to The Voice after 23 seasons, and he's got plenty to be thankful for!
"I mean, my god, it’s been 23 seasons, 12 years," the coach reflected to ET ahead of his last live finale. "It’s unbelievable, all the life that’s happened. I met my wife on there, you know, everything good that could come from something like that, I've maxed it out."
Blake first met wife Gwen Stefani when she joined the show as a season 7 coach in 2014. Both were going through divorces, and by the time Gwen returned for season 9 the following year, they were an official couple. And while Gwen has cycled on and off the show with other coaches, the pair's relationship has remained an adorable constant.
Gwen returned to the show for season 22 -- coming back as a coach for the first time since her first-ever victory in season 19, as well as the first time since she tied the knot with Blake in July 2021. And she'll be back for season 24 this fall -- leaving many to hope that we might see Blake back as her team's celebrity advisor!
"Oh my god, I'd be honored to be Gwen's mentor," Blake shared with ET last fall. "Whatever she tells me to do, I'm gonna do."
Gwen admitted to ET in March 2017 that, prior to her return in season 12, she was nervous about having her relationship with Blake be a part of The Voice. But the pair has only gotten more comfortable over time, and now that they're happily married, it's just another part of their lives together.
"I was a little nervous," she admitted at the time. "I was like, 'This is going to be weird!' But, you know, the show is so real. All it is is us just being there and being us. So, it's been really fun."
Read on to see all the sweetest moments from the happy couple's seasons together!
Blake and Gwen Get Competitive
While the pair make a great team in their personal lives, they don't pull any punches when it comes to The Voice. Ahead of season 12, Blake and Gwen's fellow coaches, Alicia Keys and Adam Levine, accused the two of conspiring together to win, but Blake insisted that he was all about the competition.
"She is sleeping on the couch, that is what happens," the country star joked with ET. "She will be in the dog house."
And not much has changed in the years since. Ahead of season 17 in fall 2019, Blake told ET, "At the end of the day... it's no different than if Gwen and I were playing cards... She wants to win and I want to win, and that's what they pay us to do on this show, is to try to win."
Blake Offers to Propose to Gwen in Season 12
Longtime Voice fans may know that Blake and Gwen were discussing marriage all the way back in season 12 -- particularly in one clip that ended up on the cutting room floor!
In a moment from the season's outtakes, fans got some very real emotions regarding the possibility of an on-air proposal.
Fellow coach Alicia casually brought up the idea up in the clip, positing, "What about, like, a proposal on the show?"
"Would that make you feel weird, Gwen?" Blake responded, to which Gwen laughed, "That would be my dream come true!" And in three years, it was!
Blake Gets Jealous During Season 12 Battles
Despite her happy relationship with Blake, Gwen admittedly can get swept up by some of The Voice's most passionate performers, like Chris Blue, who wowed his coach during the season 12 Battle Rounds -- much to her beau's chagrin.
"Chris, you let yourself completely get absorbed into the music, almost as an out-of-body experience," she marveled. "I don't even know if I was listening to your voice because I was so mesmerized by your body."
This was not a comment that Blake or Adam were going to let go of right away.
"Hey! What the-?" Blake said, giving a jokingly angry glare at the Voice hopeful.
"I'm sorry, Blake," Chris said, laughing.
As Gwen tried to backpedal with an explanation as to what she meant, Adam shot back, "It's hard to talk your way out of that one."
While his girlfriend continued to blush over her forward comments, Blake decided to rib the singer. "What’s your problem, man?" he asked from his chair.
"I don't want any trouble," Chris defensively replied while laughing. "I don't have any problem."
"By the way, I hope you're not available to steal, because I'd probably lose my girlfriend," Blake joked.
Blake Opens Gwen Up to Country Music
While they keep things contentious for the Voice cameras, Gwen admitted to ET during season 12 that her relationship with Blake opened her up to the world of country music and helped her guide country-leaning team members in a way that she couldn't before.
"I've been opened up to this whole new world of music that I didn't even know about, and it's been super fun this time because I have a country artist [this season]," the singer told ET backstage. "Between this whole couple of years getting to know country music, but then looking for songs for this little girl who's, like, 15… I have so much new music in me, and I love that. That's my favorite part about being here."
The GRAMMY winner added that, if it weren't for Shelton, she probably would have never listened to country music, admitting, "I would never have been open to it. I've learned so much about heart, your heart in music, just by listening to country music."
Blake and Gwen Celebrate Her Season 17 Return
After coaching seasons 7, 9 and 12, Gwen was back in action in season 17, and she couldn't have been more thrilled.
"I'm so happy to be back. My life changed so much on the show," Gwen raved in a promo for the season in August 2019. "And then to be with my best friend, Blakey, and to be here with Kelly and John, I feel pretty lucky to be here right now."
Blake seemed pretty pleased with Gwen's return as well, gushing that he "always love[s] having Gwen on the show."
A source told ET at the time that, "Gwen seems secure and happy to be back. Their relationship is so different from when they first started dating on The Voice... They're truly like a married couple who hasn't lost that spark."
The source also added that for Gwen and Blake it "has been really sweet, because The Voice is where they fell in love, so being back on set seems to have stirred up some cute memories."
Gwen Blocks Blake in Her Season 17 Return
Of course, the pair's reunited bliss didn't last too long, as Gwen used her block on Blake to win country singer Kyndal Inskeep to her team during the Blind Auditions.
"It's never good when your girlfriend blocks you," Blake lamented of not landing the young singer. "This brings it to a whole new level. This was on national television!"
"You're personally responsible for breaking up one of America's favorite couples," fellow coach John Legend joked to the young hopeful, calling Gwen an "assassin" after she made her pitch.
Kelly Clarkson was less mournful about the block. "Blake got blocked by his girlfriend! Which makes me so happy," she gleefully told the cameras.
Powerless, Blake admitted to the young singer, "I'm very happy for Gwen if she gets you... She put our relationship on the line for you!"
The gambit ultimately paid off, as Inskeep chose to join Team Gwen. "It's really fun to use your block," Gwen told the cameras with a smile. "It really worked out for me."
Gwen Explains Her Unexpected Chemistry With Blake
The Voice's Battle Rounds task the coaches with pairing up two of their team members for a duet -- which can sometimes prove a bit challenging when singers have different styles. But on season 17, Gwen offered a little of her own personal experience when it came to putting seemingly disparate personalities together to make beautiful music.
"It's like me and Blake," Gwen offered to team members Royce Lovett and Kiara Brown as they prepped for their battle. "We do not seem like we would go together, but we fit together perfectly."
Her advice seemed to do the trick, as the singers blew all four coaches away with their rendition of Bob Marley's "Turn Your Lights Down Low." Gwen's beau, in particular, seemed impressed by the song.
"It's a good love song," Blake remarked, adding in a sing-song voice, "If you're talking about love."
"Oh, I'm gonna be sick," Kelly joked of the pair's sappy display.
Blake Brings Gwen to Tears With Emotional Speech
After a season 17 Knockout Round showdown between Destiny Rayne and Rose Short, Gwen turned to her fellow coaches for some help, and receiving heartwarming support from her beau.
"Rose, I couldn't be happier for you, that you have Gwen as your coach," he said of his girlfriend and fellow coach. "Because I've had Gwen as my best friend, and I can see the effect that it has on somebody, the way she helps you to believe in yourself."
Blake said Rose's performance was "hands down" his favorite of the Knockout Rounds so far, but it was his praise for Gwen that got everyone emotional.
"I guess I'm gonna cry over here!" Gwen exclaimed, while Kelly agreed that Blake's speech was "very sweet."
Blake and Gwen Joke About Kids During Season 17 Live Shows
The couple couldn't help but joke around about their own family unit even before they were engaged -- especially when season 17's talented teen duo Hello Sunday wowed Gwen with their poise and powerful voices. Gwen, as a mom of three, joked that she couldn't believe the talent of the two 14-year-old singers when her own 13-year-old son, Kingston, was still "singing Green Day in the shower."
But Blake and Gwen's sweetest moment came after Joana Martinez hit the stage for her performance of "You Can't Stop the Girl" by Bebe Rexha. After the 15-year-old performer impressed the coaches once again, Gwen made a point of mentioning how she had swiped Joana after she was cut from Blake's team.
"Blake, that's our little girl!" she said with a smile.
Blake Consoles Gwen During Season 17 Eliminations
Things always get intense during The Voice's live shows, and season 17 was no different -- thankfully Blake and Gwen had each other to lean on!
As the Top 11 were whittled down to the Top 10, a live vote from America eliminated Team Gwen singer Myracle Holloway, which left her coach emotional.
"Sorry about Myracle," Blake told Gwen on her Instagram Story, as the two rode back from the stage together.
"It seems so unfair," Gwen answered. "She's so talented."
"We're to the point where, nothing from here on out is gonna make sense," Blake noted, before joking, "The only thing that will make sense, is if my team wins."
Gwen Says Blake 'Saved My Life' During Season 17 Live Shows
Backstage during the season 17 live shows, Blake and Gwen both got candid with ET about how much their relationship meant to them.
"I don't want to remember what I was like before Gwen, actually," he said.
"I'm a little bit of jerk to you still," he added, speaking to fellow coach Kelly Clarkson. "But I was a jerk to everybody... Look how nice I am now!"
Gwen couldn't help but get emotional thinking about how her life had been affected by Blake.
"Blake saved my life, everybody knows that," she told ET. "Like, we're just having the time of our lives, and we never expected that this late in our lives, so we're just trying to savor every moment together, and just to be back on The Voice as well -- not to change the subject -- but working together again has been really fun, and I love being here and I love being with him."
Blake and Gwen Want 'Nobody But You' During Season 18 Finale
Thanks to the fact that they were quarantining together at Blake's home in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, Gwen was able to be a part of The Voice season 18, even though she wasn't officially a coach. She served as Blake's "most expensive hair and makeup ever," and even joined the show's virtual finale for a special performance, as she and her beau performed their chart-topping duet, "Nobody But You."
"I wanted to say very quickly, thank you to all the Oklahoma regional food banks, frontline workers, thanks to all the food bank workers across this country," Blake told fans before the two performed. "You're out there, you're taking care of people, and we love you for it. Be sure, if you're watching this, donate to your local food bank."
Blake Says It's 'Comforting' to Have Gwen Back in Season 19
Ahead of their season 19 reunion on The Voice, Blake wasn't shy about how thrilled he was to welcome Gwen back to the show -- even with the COVID-19 restrictions on the season.
"Having Gwen back is very comforting to all the coaches," the country star shared. "We were all able to just go back to the game we already knew. We all know how to play each other at this thing. It felt like the old gang got back together again, and we're having a blast."
"I think that being able to sit down and watch a show that's so inspiring and will bring inspiration to people, it will definitely bring joy," Gwen agreed. "Music is the heartbeat of human beings, so I feel really blessed to be here and to be a part of that and to be able to connect around America on the TV."
Gwen added that it was "magical" spending time in quarantine with Blake and her kids because "we don't ever have that much solid time together."
"We did do a lot of fun stuff," shared the singer. "We did a lot of cooking. I learned how to make sourdough bread like everybody else; it took me like a month to get the starter right. We did so much stuff. We built a garden. We planted zinnias. I mean, we planted thousands of zinnia flowers. It was a lot of stuff that you dream about doing that you never have time to do."
Blake Saves Gwen From a Wardrobe Malfunction
The Voice's season 19 bloopers featured plenty of happy and hilarious behind-the-scenes moments from all of the coaches, but particularly Kelly poking fun at Blake, John Legend lamenting his awkward "social-distancing handshake" prop and Gwen having a few mishaps with the stunning custom mirrored Dulce Bestia bodysuit she wore for the Blind Auditions.
First, the spangly tassels got caught in a succulent plant backstage, picking it up off a nearby table. Then, she almost had a wardrobe malfunction!
"Blake, she's unzipped again," Kelly announced in between auditions. "Do you wanna zip her?"
Gwen Rocks Blake-Inspired Bling
Voice fans had to wait until the season 19 live shows to get an on-screen glimpse at Gwen's engagement ring from Blake, but the No Doubt rocker had plenty of bling to rock in the meantime -- including a special piece inspired by her fiancé!
As the Battle Rounds kicked off, Gwen showed off another stunning new look, swapping out her Dulce Bestia bodysuit for an equally bejeweled, Egyptian-inspired Zuhair Murad top, which she paired with cutoff jean shorts, fishnets and knee-high boots.
And of course, she had the perfect accessories to go along with the look, including her pair of super-cute personalized necklaces that read "Shelton" and "Stefani."
"Me and this guy ♥️," Gwen captioned a pic of her and Blake from The Voice set.
Gwen Forgets She Can 'Make Out' With Blake
COVID-19 restrictions affected almost every aspect of season 19 of The Voice -- so much so that Gwen almost forgot she was allowed to kiss her own fiancé!
Blake was facing a difficult decision in the Knockout Rounds, pitting country crooner Ben Allen against family trio Worth the Wait. When Blake chose to save Worth the Wait, following their harmonic cover of "Delta Dawn," Gwen helped him out, stealing Allen to her team and keeping him in the competition -- much to her beau's delight.
"Ben had one of my favorite performances," the No Doubt singer said of her decision. "I feel excited to have country on my team. I'm on country radio right now with Blake Shelton, so it just feels right."
However, when Blake jumped up to hug her, Gwen was taken aback for a second. "Oh, we can make out!" she exclaimed to her now-fiancé. "I forgot!"
Blake and Gwen Are 'Happy Anywhere'
They may have been competing against each other for The Voice's season 19 title, but Blake and Gwen couldn't help but keep singing love songs to one another as they performed together for the first time since announcing their engagement in October 2020 after five years of dating.
The couple took the stage during the live finale in December -- after getting some musical marriage advice from Team Blake's Jim Ranger -- to perform a special duet of their second No. 1 country hit, "Happy Anywhere."
Blake Looks Back on His 'Voice' Love Story
As The Voice celebrated its 10th year on the air in season 20, Blake took a moment to reflect on how his life was truly changed by signing on to be a coach.
"People ask me all the time, 'What's the greatest thing that's happened to you since you've been on The Voice?' That's a no-brainer, right?" he said with a laugh during the show's "Road to Lives: 10th Anniversary" special episode. "I met my fiancée here."
"If you had told me back in 1996 that Gwen Stefani was gonna be my girlfriend, I would have laughed you out of the room. I would have thought you were crazy," Blake joked in the clip. "Saying it right now, I almost bust out laughing, that's how ridiculous it is."
But the country star admitted that he was impressed with the No Doubt frontwoman right from the start -- and maybe not for the reason you'd expect.
"Here's this iconic rock star coming to be a coach on The Voice in a black minivan. That was cool to me," he recalled.
Of facing off against Gwen as a fellow Voice coach, Blake added, "I love it when she's here... She brings a very complicated element of competition for me in particular. But I love that. I love the challenge... Just knowing that she's there and she has my back is pretty cool."
Gwen Celebrates Blake's 'Voice' Anniversary -- and Another Win!
While Gwen wasn't on the coaches' panel for The Voice season 20, she made sure to throw her support behind Team Blake as she took the stage for a performance of her collab with Saweetie, "Slow Clap," during the finale.
"I know that Blake is gonna win this season, so you guys can just shut up, OK?" Gwen insisted on social media ahead of the show. "Because it's all about Blake Shelton." (Ultimately, she was right, as Team Blake's Cam Anthony went on to be crowned the season 20 champ.)
During the finale, Gwen also introduced a special, surprise retrospective for Blake, who was celebrating 10 years on the show as the only remaining coach who's been with the singing competition since the very first season.
"Surprise, Blakey!" Gwen said in the clip. "Obviously, you changed my life when I met you on The Voice my first season. But sometimes I don't think you realize the impact you have had on so many people's lives on this show."
Gwen then introduced a sweet shout-out video, featuring former Team Blake members and winners like RaeLynn, Todd Tilghman, Cassadee Pope and more.
The Pair Pulls Off the Ultimate 'Publicity Stunt'
It's no secret that Voice fans are invested in Blake and Gwen's relationship, and the country star couldn't help but poke fun at the buzz surrounding their July 2021 nuptials when he made an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers later in the year.
"Gwen and I, we agree that if we're going to pull off the ultimate publicity stunt, which is what this relationship is, then we wanted to follow through, man, and go ahead and get married," Blake quipped. "Because you know, the next season of The Voice is coming up and we're team players for NBC."
The "God's Country" singer also joked about having The Voice host Carson Daly officiate their special day.
"The way he handled those wet T-shirt contests back in the day when he was hosting those spring break specials, we knew he had to be the guy for us," Blake said of Carson, the former host of MTV's Total Request Live.
Blake Praises a Singer's 'Sweet Escape'
Even when Gwen wasn't on the show, she was always at the front of Blake's mind -- especially when a Voice singer performed one of her songs! The country star went out of his way to praise season 21 competitor Bella DeNapoli during the Top 20 live performances, wowing all four of the coaches with her cover of Gwen's 2006 hit, "The Sweet Escape."
"I'm dying for Gwen to hear this," Blake raved after the jazzy interpretation of his wife's track. "There's taking a song and making it your own and then there's-- She and Akon are probably gonna have to add you to the copyright."
The Honeymoon Is Over
ET got an exclusive first look at a Voice promo previewing the pair's upcoming reunion on season 22 -- and the two clearly aren't holding anything back!
"Have you guys made a rule that you won't get into real fights?" new coach Camila Cabello, asks in the clip, caught in the "marriage sandwich" as she sits between Blake and Gwen.
"No," Blake answers simply, even going so far as to block his wife, turn off the stage lights and mute Gwen's mic as she pleads her case to a prospective team member!
"We're gonna fight!" Gwen assures. Watch the full promo below.
ET also exclusively chatted with Blake about the "new phase of his life" following his marriage to Gwen, and how he's happy to let his career take a backseat to his personal life.
"Look, I love music and I love The Voice. 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," he shared, referencing Stefani's three sons with ex Gavin Rossdale.
As for what young Blake would have said had he known one day he would marry the No Doubt frontwoman?
"I would have probably said, 'Are you talking about that girl that holds up the orange in her video?' I never understood until now that she's from Orange County," he admitted. "My entire life of knowing who Gwen Stefani even was was 'Is that the girl that holds the orange up in the video? Oh my god, she's so hot, but why is she obsessed with this freaking orange, you know?'"
Blake and Gwen Celebrate Their Last Season Together
By the season 22 finale, Blake had already announced his plans to depart the show after season 23 -- which had Gwen getting emotional when she spoke to ET during their final season together.
"The hardest part is just knowing that it's Blake and my last season together on the show, which is, I can't even say the words like it's 'cause it's so--" she continued. "Incredible miracles came out of being on the show for me, so I feel so blessed that I got this whole experience and I got that guy!"
"He's brought so much joy. He's so talented," Stefani told ET in another interview during their last season. "I know people just wait around to laugh and watch him on TV, so I feel sorry for everybody [that] he's gonna be gone."
Shelton told ET during the season 22 finale that he almost didn't realize just how emotional the night would be for him and his wife. He admitted that he was "so wrapped up in the finale tonight," and his performances alongside his three finalists and famous friend Kane Brown, that the gravity of the moment didn't hit him until after the show was over.
"I walked over to Gwen's chair after the cameras went off and she's over there literally sobbing," he tells ET. "She was like, 'This is our last time that we're going to do this together.'"
For more with Shelton and Stefani, check out the links below.
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