Blake Shelton Jokes About Leaving ‘The Voice’ for ‘Family Time’ Just as Wife Gwen Stefani Returns

Blake Shelton isn’t getting the quality family time with his wife, Gwen Stefani, that he envisioned when he stepped down from his coaching role after 23 seasons on The Voice. 

“I think I’d actually put out there to the press too because everybody wants to know, ‘Why are you quitting? Why are you walking away from the show?’ And it’s like, ‘Well, for the family, for more family time,'” Shelton, 47, shared on Wednesday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. “And then the very next announcement is, ‘Gwen’s coming back!'” 

Following Shelton’s exit, Stefani, 54, returned to the coaching chair and her role on the hit music competition. 

“Maybe she doesn’t want too much family time,” Shelton quipped of his wife. “Money talks in this industry.”

Host Kimmel noted that perhaps the announcements could have been handled better, to which Shelton admitted that he and his musician wife aren’t involved in each other’s professional moves. 

“We’re completely not involved in each other’s decision making when it comes to our careers,” he said. “She’s Gwen Stefani and that’s its own machine. It’s like, ‘Oh wait, you’re going back? Because I just quit. So, I’ll catch you next spring. I’ll see you.'”

Shelton is preparing to go on his Back to the Honky Tonk Tour next February and joked that he’ll be ships in the night with Stefani. 

“As soon as she gets home it’s like, ‘Hey, it’s your turn with the kids. I’ve gotta go,'” he quipped. 

Stefani shares three sons, Kingston, 17, Zuma, 15, and Apollo, 9, with her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale. She and Shelton tied the knot in July 2021.

In October, Stefani spoke with ET about missing her husband on the show where they first met and fell in love. 

“Let’s face it. Blake, he’s such a huge part of this show,” she told ET. “I mean, he is The Voice in so many ways, so it does definitely feel weird to be back without him.”

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