Country singer Blake Shelton will give up being on “The Voice” next year to focus on his wife, pop singer Gwen Stefani, and raising their children together, the 46-year-old said in a new interview this week.
Shelton made the remarks in an interview with People about how raising his three stepsons — ages 8, 14, and 16 — has changed him as a person.
“They’ve taught me something about myself that I never knew: I’m more than just a country singer or a goofy guy,” he said. “I’m someone they actually lean on, and that’s not a responsibility that I ever had and not something that I ever considered even being into.”
Shelton, who announced his upcoming retirement from the show in October, said that after he and Stefani spent their careers traveling on the road they are now content staying at and doing things around the house for fun.
TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA’S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US.
“The holdup over the years has been that it’s a hard thing for me to let go of,” Shelton said after being on the show for more than a decade. “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. 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 said that he is prioritizing Stefani, who is seven years older than him, and the three boys.
“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. This isn’t about me anymore and never will be again,” he said. “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.”
Stefani said last month that before she met Shelton, she had resigned herself to a life of loneliness following her divorce.
“God just put us together. It was like one of those miracle situations where I didn’t see it coming,” Stefani said. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna wake up every day. I’m gonna have a coffee. I’m gonna take care of my kids, and then I’m gonna go to bed.’ Like I’m never gonna kiss anyone. I thought my life was over, and then Blake Shelton was like, ‘Hey. I’m Blake Shelton.’”
Amanda Harding contributed to this report.