"Even though I'm a stepparent, I take that job very seriously. The kids see me as a very important person in their life," the 47-year-old singer said.
Blake Shelton is putting his family first! The singer wants to spend quality time with Gwen Stefani and her three sons with ex Gavin Rossdale. "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 6 p.m. and watch Ozark eight times,'" the former The Voice coach told PEOPLE. "That's our life now, and we love it." A couple of months ago Shelton announced he was leaving the singing competition after 12 years. Shelton began dating his pop superstar wife who was also a coach on the show in 2015. The two married last year, and Shelton is now a stepdad to Stefani's three sons, Kingston, 16, Zuma, 14, and Apollo, 8, with ex Gavin Rossdale.
"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," he said of his time on the show. "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." But now Shelton has decided to focus on family and spend time with Stefani, 53, and his stepkids.
"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," said Shelton. "Even though I'm a stepparent, I take that job very seriously. The kids see me as a very important person in their life," he continued. "[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." The musician now enjoys a "settled" life with the No Doubt rocker in Oklahoma. "We get away from everything [in L.A.], and we're just us. It truly does feel different," he shared. "That's where I feel the most comfortable, happy and safe." He admitted that he's had people say "'Man, come on. You're not quitting The Voice [to do] nothing!' But I really am. Please, I'm accepting ideas," he joked, adding "It's time to push some of this [work] stuff out and let more family and personal life in."
References:
https://people.com/country/blake-shelton-putting-family-first-barmageddon-cover-story/
Cover Image Source: Instagram | gwenstefani
