‘The Voice’ Season 22: Gwen Stefani Admits She Turned Whenever Blake Shelton Did to ‘Mess With Him’ in the Blinds
The Voice Season 22 marks the first season Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have appeared as spouses. Their marriage has been brought up several times, with the coaches joking about marital spats and playfully flirting with each other. During the Blind Auditions, Stefani often pressed her button for the same artists as Shelton. Many fans of The Voice didn’t approve of her tactic, but in a recent interview, the pop star said it was all in good fun. Here’s why she did it.
Many fans felt frustrated with Gwen Stefani during ‘The Voice’ Season 22 Blind Auditions
Fans have shared mixed feelings about Stefani and Shelton’s dynamic on The Voice this season. While many people can’t get enough of the couple’s adorable banter, others feel it has become the “Gwen and Blake Show.” In a Reddit discussion, some viewers pointed out that Stefani takes any opportunity to remind people that she and Shelton are married.
Another big point of frustration among fans happened during this season’s Blind Auditions. Stefani often turned her chair around immediately after Shelton, even if the artist on stage didn’t seem like a fit for her team. As a result, she and Shelton repeatedly fought over the same singers. Some viewers got annoyed with Stefani, pointing out that she relied on Shelton too often.
“I have been saying this every episode! She makes it obvious too, like she watches him the entire audition and turns as soon as he does,” one person wrote in the Reddit thread.
“I think she thinks it’s cute … it’s not cute,” another user added, while someone else wrote, “She cannot make her own decisions.”
Gwen Stefani admitted she often turned with Blake Shelton on purpose
Stefani somewhat addressed the backlash in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight. The former No Doubt singer admitted that she did sometimes turn her chair with Shelton on purpose, just to have a little fun.
“I was definitely pressing when Blake would press, ’cause I like to mess with him, but I also like to follow his taste,” she explained.
Stefani and Shelton’s romance began on The Voice. They met in 2014 when she joined the coaching panel for the first time. Back then, the singers were both going through divorces, and they supported each other. Their friendship turned into a romance by 2015. Stefani and Shelton finally tied the knot in summer 2021 at Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch.
Even though Stefani and Shelton have coached together in the past, this season feels different, according to Stefani. She told NBC Insider that it felt “surreal” to get back to where it all began for the couple.
“It was just kinda easy and flawless and normal. It just feels like we’re anywhere else we’d be together. And I have a lot of fun with him here,” she added.
Stefani feels she has an ‘incredible team’ this season on ‘The Voice’
All jokes aside, Stefani’s tactic of turning with Shelton did help her land some impressive acts. Going into the Live Playoffs, the “Hollaback Girl” hitmaker has four artists left: Alyssa Witrado, Justin Aaron, Kique, and Kevin Hawkins. Stefani told ET she feels confident in her “incredible” team.
“Everybody has different things that they’re good at,” Stefani said. “I have someone that’s just really good at stage presence and you just kind of can’t keep your eye off them, and then another one that’s just like a really skilled singer and then another one that’s like, super creative and talented and unique, so it’s like, I don’t know!”
New episodes of The Voice air on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Next-day streaming is also available on Peacock.
