"I love all the cool things I get to do with my job, but those things all take a backseat now to Gwen and the kids and it’s just a new phase of my life," he confessed.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 9, 2022. It has since been updated.
Blake Shelton is gifted in many areas. He is a reality TV favorite and a country music icon. In an interview with PEOPLE, Blake Shelton reveals that having stepdad responsibilities for Gwen Stefani's three sons has given him a deeper feeling of fulfillment. Shelton tied the knot with Stefani 7 years ago, and shares that helping raise Kingston, 16, Zuma, 14, and Apollo, 8, has taught him "something about myself that I never knew."
"I'm more than just a country singer or a goofy guy. 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 says. "It's a different kind of self-worth. Maybe it's the opposite of self-worth because you put yourself way down on the rung, and they move up ahead of you," the singer added.
Shelton, 47, has revealed that he will be departing The Voice after 23 seasons. He believes that this decision was largely motivated by a desire to spend more time with his stepsons as they get older. "You don't know what your regrets are going to be until you look back one day. I feel like my regrets would be, if I stayed on this path, that I am missing out on some more important things in life — and for now, that's our kids," he says.
Although Shelton and Stefani, 53, have been married for seven years, he believes that marriage hasn't altered their relationship; rather, it has made him feel more "settled." Shelton shares that although he never felt like the relationship with Stefani wouldn't work out, but still, having kids has cemented his relationship's foundation. He shares, "Having kids, it truly does make you go, 'Oh whoa. Wait a minute.' This isn't about me anymore and never will be again.' If you don't say that to yourself, I think you're only hurting yourself because you're going to miss out."
Shelton feels like he's accomplished so much in his career that he'd "ever imagine" and "made plenty of money" but, "You can't buy time back," he says. "[Family] is what I want to invest in now."
Shelton assures fans that despite temporarily slowing down, he is not leaving. He is open to passion projects like Barmageddon, which he co-created with close buddy Carson Daly, and has one more season of The Voice in the spring, a tour early in 2019, and other commitments. "It's such a fun show to make, I can make it with people that I care about, have fun and do a whole season in a couple weeks," Shelton says of Barmageddon. "I wasn't looking for The Voice when I found it, and it's exciting to know what else may be out there."
Shelton announced his departure from The Voice in a note posted on Instagram. "I’ve been wrestling with this for a while and I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from The Voice after season 23. This show has changed my life in every way for the better, and it will always feel like home to me." He shared in an interview with ET that he feels everything takes a backseat to his family. "Look, I love music and I love The Voice. I love all the cool things I get to do with my job, but those things all take a backseat now to Gwen and the kids and it’s just a new phase of my life," he confessed.
References:
https://people.com/parents/blake-shelton-gwen-stefani-sons-taught-him-different-self-worth/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Rich Fury
