The Voice is set to premiere its milestone 30th season on the 2026 TV schedule next week, but before the Blind Auditions kick off, Carson Daly sat down with three of the four OG coaches to take a look back at the past 15 years. That’s right, that means Blake Shelton and Adam Levine were reunited, along with CeeLo Green, but one of the wildest revelations from their walk down memory lane involved another coach — Gwen Stefani — as Daly admitted he tried “everything” to keep her away from Shelton.
There have been a number of phenomenal singers to come out of The Voice since its 2011 debut, but talent aside, the show is also proud to have been the birthplace of Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s relationship. Carson Daly discussed his initial reaction when he realized something was up, recalling:
There was rumors that you two were, like, getting together. I remember coming to Adam in the dressing room, like, ‘There’s something might be with Blake and Gwen.’ And I was like — we were both like — there’s no way. There’s no way that’s possible.
I guess I can’t speak for every fan of The Voice, but my reaction was exactly the same as Carson Daly’s. I totally didn’t buy that the No Doubt ska rocker from Orange County would be attracted to the goofy country music star.
Adam Levine doesn’t remember the disbelief, but he does recall his excitement, telling the group at The Voice 30th Season Celebration:
I was so pumped on it. I was like, ‘This is going down, dude. It’s going down.’
Apparently, it took Carson Daly a little longer to get on board, as Blake Shelton recalled the host trying to get him to “pump the brakes.” Daly said:
I tried everything in my power to not let this thing happen. I was like, ‘I know what’s going on.’ … You both went through a crazy divorce publicly. And then we went to Gwen’s house once. And I’ve known you [Gwen] for a long time, and I love you, and I was like, ‘You guys gotta stop this. This will never work.’
It’s not hard to see where Carson Daly’s concern came from. He knew what was going on in both of their personal lives back in 2015, with Gwen Stefani’s marriage to Gavin Rossdale ending at the same time that Blake Shelton was divorcing Miranda Lambert. I can only assume Daly thought this was a rebound situation and that they were going to get hurt.
Now, over a decade later, we know that definitely wasn’t the case. In fact, it was Carson Daly who not only officiated Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani’s wedding but encouraged them to write their own vows, which led to their wedding song, “We Can Reach the Stars.”
It was great to see Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani return to The Voice — even if it was just for one night — and now I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Season 30. Tune in to see Adam Levine go to battle against Kelly Clarkson, Queen Latifah and Riley Green when Blind Auditions kick off at 8 p.m. ET Monday, September 21, on NBC for the first of a three-night premiere.
