Blake Shelton Is Focused on His Family With Gwen Stefani: ‘This Isn’t About Me Anymore’
Blake Shelton's life is about to undergo some changes. The singer-turned-coach on The Voice revealed earlier this year that next season (23) will be his last on the show.
As the only coach who has been there since the advent of the show in 2011, Shelton says making the decision to leave was bittersweet, but also a no-brainer for a man who married a woman with three children.
"The holdup over the years has been that it's a hard thing for me to let go of. I've been here literally since the first minute," Shelton tells People in a recent cover story.
"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," he says. "I've far exceeded anything I thought I could ever accomplish in the entertainment world."
Fans may be wondering about Shelton's reasons for leaving the show, and while he does have a new project going (his new show Barmageddon premiered on USA Network on Monday) the decision to step away is really to spend time with his family. Shelton is the stepfather to wife Gwen Stefani's three sons, Kingston, Zuma and Apollo.
"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," he says. "For now, that's our kids. This isn't about me anymore and never will be again."
Shelton elaborates, explaining that the role he plays in those boys' lives is of utmost importance to him.
"Even though I'm a stepparent, I take that job very seriously," the country star says. "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."
"It's time to push some of this [work] stuff out and let more family and personal life in," he adds.
Once his run on The Voice is over, Shelton is looking forward to spending more time at his home in Oklahoma, where he says he feels "the most comfortable, happy and safe." His retirement from the show will also provide plenty of time to binge-watch television shows with his wife.
"Gwen and I have done so much traveling and touring and work the first half of our lives that now we're like, 'Hey, I'm good to put my sweatpants on at 6PM and watch Ozark eight times,'" he shares. "That's our life now, and we love it."