Blake Shelton Page 4

They’ve been in a happy relationship for just over a year now, but Gwen Stefani has revealed that a recent family trip to Disneyland almost made her reconsider her romance with Blake Shelton – he wouldn’t go on the rollercoasters!

The 47 year old pop star was a guest on ‘The Tonight Show’ on Wednesday (February 15th), and she told host Jimmy Fallon that his reluctance to get on the big rides had her thinking twice for a bit.

Gwen Stefani revealed a potential 'deal breaker' with Blake Shelton

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani Reveals Potential 'Deal Breaker' With Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton has revealed that he enjoys taking girlfriend Gwen Stefani on ‘Bachelor’-style dates in his new private helicopter on his Oklahoma ranch.

During an appearance on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' on Thursday the country star said he gets more use out of the helicopter than you would think, but admitted he doesn't fly it himself.

Blake Shelton likes taking Gwen Stefani on helicopter dates

Continue reading: Blake Shelton Loves Taking Gwen Stefani On Helicopter Dates

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton gave a duet performance at the final state dinner held by outgoing U.S. president Barack Obama in Washington D.C., in front of a star-studded audience.

At the lavish reception and dinner, held at the White House by Obama in honour of the visiting Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi and his wife Agnese Landini on Tuesday (October 18th), Stefani and her boyfriend of a year gave a rendition of their duet ‘Go Ahead and Break My Heart’ - after which she shook hands with Obama.

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton Perform In Front Of Barack Obama At Final State Dinner

Gwen Stefani is returning as a coach on ‘The Voice’ for the competition’s 12th season next year.

Stefani’s return means Miley Cyrus is out, but fan’s needn't worry as she’ll be coming back for the show’s 13th season in the fall of 2017.

Gwen Stefani is coming back to ‘The Voice’ for season 12 next year

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani Will Be Back On 'The Voice' For Season 12 With Miley Cyrus Returning For Season 13

Gwen Stefani took her new boyfriend Blake Shelton on a trip to her family home in Anaheim, California along with her three sons – but not before a trip to Disneyland.

The couple were spotted at Disneyland on Wednesday (October 12th) as the former No Doubt frontwoman documented the fun day out via Snapchat. 40 year old Shelton, who had never been to the theme park before, spent most of the day wearing a ‘1st Visit’ badge as they walked around with Stefani’s three children – Kingston, 10, Zuma, 8 and Apollo, 2.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani Takes Family, And Blake Shelton, To Anaheim Childhood Home - And Disneyland!

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are not about to get married, at least that’s what Gwen’s saying. The former coach on ‘The Voice’ laughed off rumours she was set to walk down the aisle again, when she was put in the hot seat by Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday.

Gwen says she's not about to marry Blake anytime soon

Appearing on the talk show, Ellen told Gwen: “I’m so glad y’all are so happy. Before I make plans, because I make plans way ahead of time, tell me when you’re getting married because I need to know. I just need to know so I can clear that schedule.”

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani Laughs Off Rumours She's About To Marry Blake Shelton

While Blake Shelton hasn't been shy about showing off his relationship with Gwen Stefani, his ex wife Miranda Lambert has been keeping her love life more on the down-low since their divorce. But the country singer made it clear who her new man was on Friday night, by wearing his name on her t-shirt during a concert in California.

Continue reading: Miranda Lambert Wears Her Love For Boyfriend Anderson East During Concert

Things have moved very quickly for Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton, having only begun their relationship less than 12 months ago. However, sources close to the couple have now started to intimate that there will be wedding bells for the couple in the near future.

“They are not engaged yet,” says a source close to 46 year old Stefani told People on Wednesday evening (August 3rd). “Everyone is expecting it to happen at some point, though.”

The former No Doubt lead singer, who separated from her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale last July, is currently in the middle of a U.S. tour, promoting her comeback album This Is What The Truth Feels Like, so it’s not been ideal for planning the future.

Continue reading: Is Blake Shelton Planning To Propose To Gwen Stefani?

‘Will and Grace’ star Debra Messing has apologised to country singer Blake Shelton for misconstruing some statements he made about the upcoming US election. Messing had implied Shelton was a supporter of Donald Trump and had even asked his girlfriend Gwen Stefani to “talk to your man.”

Debra Messing has apologised to Blake Shelton.

It all started after Shelton spoke to Billboard about presidential candidate Trump and how the Republican doesn't often hold back. "I'm not going to have the political conversation with you about Trump, or about Hillary Clinton,“ Shelton said.

Continue reading: Debra Messing Apologizes To Blake Shelton After Implying He Was Voting Donald Trump

Country music star Blake Shelton has been rewarding his loyal fans this week, eschewing the massive concerts he’s become accustomed to playing in favour of impromptu gigs at tiny venues, playing two surprise gigs at extremely short notice in the space of two days.

The 40 year old musician and judge on ‘The Voice’ played an intimate gig at the Whiskey Tango in Kansas City on Wednesday night (July 27th), with queues of thousands streaming back more than a mile many hours before the doors opened.

Blake Shelton played two intimate shows at small venues this week

Continue reading: Blake Shelton Plays Two Free, Intimate Gigs In Tiny Venues

Gwen Stefani has opened up about how she’s still coping with the aftermath of her divorce from her ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, describing the moment they split for good as like having her dreams “shattered”.

The former No Doubt singer, 46, who is currently dating Blake Shelton and in the middle of a North American tour, spoke about her divorce and her new relationship in the August edition of Harper’s Bazaar.

“My dreams were shattered,” she recalled about the moment she parted ways with Rossdale, 50, her husband of nearly 14 years last summer. “All I wanted my whole life was to have babies, be married, like what my parents have.”

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani Recalls Divorce From Gavin Rossdale: "My Dreams Were Shattered"

Gwen Stefani has laughed off recent rumours that she and her new boyfriend Blake Shelton are planning to get married.

Ever since she and the country music star got together at the end of last year, soon after she divorced her husband of more than a decade Gavin Rossdale, the two have been enjoying what looks like a whirlwind romance from the outside. Naturally, this has got internet and tabloid gossip columns working overtime on a number of stories of various degrees of plausibility – including one that claims she’s pregnant.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have been dating for nearly 9 months

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani Denies Rumours That She And Blake Shelton Are Planning To Get Married

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton brought their love to the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night (May 22nd), when they performed their hit song ‘Go Ahead and Break My Heart’. The couple, who have been dating since late last year, debuted the song on ‘The Voice’ earlier this month, the same place where they first began their relationship.

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani And Blake Shelton Perform Romantic Duet At Billboard Awards

Well this is a piece of news noone was expecting… Taylor Swift, another pop star at the height of her career, has joined Season 7 of The Voice as an advisor. As the title suggests, Swift will advise the Voice hopefuls across all four teams. The announcement comes via Us Weekly, who also note that Taylor will be taking over the role from Season 6 advisor Chris Martin.

Raise your hand, if you weren't expecting this move from Taylor Swift.

Apparently, Swift has already made her valuable contribution to the season, with a source for Us saying: “Taylor was an absolute pleasure to work with. She had great feedback for all the contestants. She made for an amazing mentor.”

Continue reading: Those Lucky "The Voice" Hopefuls Will Be Mentored By Taylor Swift This Season

Stevie Nicks is all set to join The Voice, taking on an advisory role to Adam Levine's team. The 66 year-old Fleetwood Mac singer is the first advisor to be announced for the new series with the network planning to announce the other advisors soon.

Filming Is currently underway for the show's upcoming seventh season. Nicks has been working with coach Levine and his 12 team members as they assign songs and rehearse with the contestants in preparation for the show's battle rounds, according to the AP.

Levine and Blake Shelton will be joined by Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams as coaches when the NBC show returns.

Continue reading: Stevie Nicks To Join 'The Voice' As Advisor To Adam Levine's Team

Miranda Lambert has a new album to promote. Platinum comes out on Tuesday, so the country singer is currently doing the obligatory press rounds and digging deep into her personal life in the process. In one interview, Lambert tells USA Today all about her marriage to Blake Shelton and how the couple deal with life in the spotlight.

"Even if it's people you know, sometimes you need to cement it," Lambert says. "It's just like, 'No one come over; we're having us-time for a second.' We haven't seen each other, and we need to be like, 'Hey, how was the last five days?' It just gets too crowded sometimes."

Lambert collaborated with Carrie Underwood on one song off Platinum.

Continue reading: Miranda Lambert Is Happy, In Love And (Probably) Not Carrying Alien Babes

It was The Voice semi-final last night, and you can bet contestants and judges alike pulled out all the stops. But while the contestants we’re putting on their best professional faces, the judges took the whole affair a bit less seriously. Usher, setting aside his judging duties for a moment, performed his new song, Good Kisser. The tune earned him a standing ovation from his fellow judges.

Usher used the opportunity to debut his new song.

But by far the best moment of the show came from Adam Levine. Eager to get back at Blake Shelton for tweeting out his phone number, Levine got creative. The Maroon 5 vocalist ordered two truckloads of cow dung to be unloaded in Shelton’s red pickup truck mid-show. Props to Levine – as on-air pranks go, that one should go down in the history books.

Continue reading: "The Voice" Recap: Home Towns And Cow Dung

Gwen Stefani may be joining The Voice as a judge for the upcoming seventh season. Reports suggest Stefani is close to signing a deal with the show's network, NBC, to appear as a judge on The Voice for one season.

Gwen Stefani is rumoured to be joining The Voice as a judge in the upcoming seventh season.

Stefani, according to reports in The Wrap, appears to be filling in for Christina Aguilera who is currently expecting her second child. Aguilera has served as a judge for the show since 2011 but is taking time off during her pregnancy. She is expected to return for the eighth season of the show so Stefani may be a temporary replacement. 

Continue reading: Gwen Stefani To Join Pharrell Williams As Latest Addition To 'The Voice' Judging Panel?

Hard-headed tactics, nail-biting decisions and some truly A-grade talent; so began The Voice season six battle rounds where audience favourites were sent home, judges fought over the best candidates and the remaining contestants sang their hearts out for a chance to progress to the next stage.

The Judges Had Some Tough Decisions To Make This Week.

The last two night's episodes (17th and 18th March) were particularly cutthroat: the battle round sees two contestants from the same team pitted against each other with the coach choosing only one. It's not the end of the road for the singer who doesn't get picked though as the rejected can be stolen by other coaches. The coaches can retain only six contestants from their original team and two more can be added from the steal.

Continue reading: 'The Voice' Battles: Competition Heats Up As Adams Steals From Shakira

CeeLo Green has announced that after the end of this season, he won't be returning as a judge on the NBC singing show, The Voice. CeeLo first broke the news that he would be leaving after a four season tenure to Ellen Degeneres on Ellen which has been followed with a full statement and a confirmation from NBC.

CeeLo Green Will Not Be Returning To 'The Voice' For Season Seven.

"CeeLo Green has been an instrumental part of the success of The Voice and we deeply appreciate all his contributions," said NBC reality TV chief Paul Telegdy in a statement confirming Green's announcement. "We're looking forward to working with him on other upcoming projects that will tap into both his musical and entertainment expertise."

Continue reading: CeeLo Green Will Leave 'The Voice', It Is Because He's Never Coached A Winner?

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are set to perform at this years 56th Grammy Awards, with their inclusion to the Grammys set list being announced this week by the music awards showcase. Although the organisers for the event have revealed that the pair will perform, they have yet to specify whether the two will appear on stage together at all, a prospect that most are hoping for.

Paul and Ringo will hopefully be performing together

The pair were announced as two of the latest confirmed acts to appear at the awards show, with fellow performers John Legend, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Sara Bareilles and Carole King also added to the bill.

Continue reading: Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr Confirmed For Grammy Awards Performance. Does This Spell A Beatles Showcase?

The final standings for season five finale of The Voice featured two of Adam Levine's acts, with Will Champlin and Tessanne Chin representing the Maroon 5 singer, and Christina Aguilera's 16-year-old protege Jacquie Lee. After 13 weeks of hard fought contest, the three became two and then two became one, as Tessanne Chin was crowned the newest winner of NBC's singing contest.

Levine scored his second win in the contest, whilst Christina will have to wait a while longer

It was a second win for Levine as a judge and few could begrudge Chin for winning the contest after 13 solid weeks of top quality performances. On Tuesday (17 Dec.) night the Jamaica-born singer was picked ahead of Champlin, who placed third, and Lee, who came second, not just based on votes from the American public, but on her merit as an artist, as seen throughout the latest season. The final votes took into consideration the contestant's success on iTunes and other fields away from the show, and it was Chin who was the clear favourite to win from the get-go.

Continue reading: And The Winner OF 'The Voice' Season Five Is...

Tuesday’s semi-finals of The Voice provided a tense show, as the last remaining contestants battled it out for one of the three spots in the semi-finals. At this point it was anyone’s game, but with three contestants left, Adam Levine was the one mentor with a clear advantage – especially considering the powerhouse performance delivered by Jamaican songstress Tessanne Chin. Chin belted out a rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' which earned her a standing ovation from the audience and from an awed Levine. And now we get to the major spoilers.

Levine and Aguilera are the last mentors left standing.

"That was crazy what just happened," Levine said, via People. "The sheer talent is just ? I think that is probably the most flawless and graceful performance I've ever heard on this show."

Continue reading: The Voice Rocked By Stunning Performances In Semi-Final Show

The great George Jones was honoured by some of the biggest names in country and western music this week, as the stars came out in force to the George Jones Tribute Concert at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Friday, 22 November. The widely acclaimed country star country, who sadly passed away earlier this year on 23 April, was honoured for four hours straight by some huge names performing Jones' greatest hits.

George Jones passed away earlier this year

The evening began (via Billboard) with the sole piece of stock footage featuring Jones, the video for his sigle 'No Show Jones,' yet despite his absence from the jumbo screens on stage, his memory never left the arena during the event billed as 'The Final No Show.'

Continue reading: George Jones Honoured By The Stars Of Country At Nashville Tribute Concert

Last night (18 Nov.) on NBC, we came no closer to discovering who might be the first contestant to be booted out of the Top Ten on The Voice, after all of the remaining performers gave it their all and performed to their best. With Team Blake and Team Adam still sitting pretty with all three contestants, and with Team Christina and Team CeeLo having lost one each, the race was still wide open, as the closely-fought contest showed how much fight was left in the contestants. The rest of this story contains spoilers from last nights episode.

Carson Daly, Adam Levine, CeeLo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton have an impressive top ten left

Up first was Austin Jenckes, singing 'Your Love' by The Outfield. Still in need of finding his "breakout song," Jenckes seemed to do just that on last nights episode, as all of the judges were left thoroughly impressed by the singer as he finally came into his own. Both Blake and Christina were left impressed by the build of the song and although Adam was critical of Austin's lack of range on the song, the overall response was purely positive.

Continue reading: No One Is A Favourite To Leave 'The Voice' As We Reach The Top Ten

The Country Music Association Awards lit up the Nashville nighttime on Wednesday, 6 November, as 'Country Music's Biggest Night' went off with a bang at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Aired live on ABC last night, the hosts for the evening were once again the ever-reliable Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, who oversaw some memorable moments over the course of the night.

Blake Shelton performs at the CMA Music Festival

Leading the nominations pack for the 47th annual awards was rising star Kacey Musgraves, who led with six nominations in total. Right behind, with five nominations, was Miranda Lambert, but it was her husband Blake Shelton who finished the night as the biggest winner, taking home two gongs during the ceremony. Officially, it was Taylor Swift who went home with the most awards, although her wins for the Music Event of the Year (shared with Tim Mcgraw and Keith Urban) and the sought-after Pinnacle Award had already being revealed prior to the awards show. She also won (again, sharing with McGraw and Urban) for Music Video of the Year for 'Highway Don't Care.'

Continue reading: The Country Music Awards Toasts Country's Top Entertainers: Full Winners List & Highlights

Christina Aguilera explained why she decided to take a season off from the televised singing competition The Voice. The singer stated it was due to her family commitments and the pressures of constantly living in the public eye. She spoke to the press at the NBC segment of the Television Critics Association Summer Tour, held in Beverly Hills.

Christina Aguilera at the NBC'sTelevision Critics Association Summer Tour, Beverly Hills on Saturday.

The New York native has been appearing on television since she was ten years old. Understandably, constant media attention for the majority of her life has left her wary of the strains it can place on family life. She has one son, Max, about who she said "he starts kindergarten this fall, I'm excited about that". She also discussed her dual role as pop star in public and mother at home: "the cameras go off, I go home, I put on sweats and a T-shirt. The red lips come off. I check out and I'm mom and I needed some time, I needed some time to do that".

Continue reading: Christina Aguilera On Her Break From 'The Voice', Family Life And Show-Biz Pressures

Blake Shelton was quick to organise a benefit concert after the Oklahoma hurricane left many homeless and missing loved ones. And people were quick to buy tickets; the concert sold out in 5 minutes, but is the money going to the right place?

No one’s suggesting for a minute that there’s any untoward activity going on, but it has been suggested that kneejerk donations can often be channelled in the wrong direction “There’s an awful lot of emotional giving that happens after a disaster. Sometimes that can be a recipe for wasteful spending,” explained Heather Joslyn, an editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy. “There is a multiplier effect,” she adds. “A celebrity can write a check for $1 million, but if they give a televised concert, it will definitely bring in more money.” Blake’s, Reba McEntire, Usher and Vince Gill all stepped in to help out, as well as his wife, Miranda Lambert.

Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton all helped raised $50 million for Hurricane Sandy victims last year, and David Saltzman, the executive director of the Robin Hood Foundation, says he still finds it heart-warming when a celeb announces a benefit like this. “In my mind, it’s a way of building a sense of community,” he said. “Think of these as incredibly big, incredibly effective bake sales for a neighbor in need."

Continue reading: Blake Shelton’s Oklahoma Benefit – Will The Money Go To The Right Place?

Adam Levine's "I hate this country" remark on The Voice last night has elicited a whole wave of responses on Twitter. The Maroon 5 man was stunned that two of his three remaining singers - Judith Hill and Sarah Simmons - were voted off the show despite being considered frontrunners. This was a terrible decision, and Levine knew it.

A close-by microphone caught Levine muttering his hatred for the American public, which some fans of the show claim will decrease his chances of winning with his one remaining act. Ryan Cooney wrote on Twitter, "Adam Levine just said "I hate this country" on TV... Not a smart move dude, not smart at all. #america." 

It's hardly surprising that Levine had a dig at the American public - Judith Hill was easily the most talented singer in the final 8 - though the singer will struggle to salvage his reputation on the show with touchy television viewers. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Amy Reiter offered a potential explanation for Judith's elimination, "...it could also have been that Hill was almost too polished, too much of a pro. She'd sung a duet with Michael Jackson. Her parents were well-connected musicians. She already had the bearing of a superstar - seemed already to have arrived.  What did she need us for?"

Watch Adam Levine's "I Hate This Country" remark:

Continue reading: The Voice's Adam Levine: "I Hate This Country" [Video]

The top eight singers on The Voice took their performances to another level on Monday evening (May 27, 2013), with fire, feather and cowboy boots playing prominent roles in a number of blinged up turns. Blake Shelton had kicked off the show with a rendition of his latest hit 'Round Here,' though things soon got serious, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

On Team Adam Levine, it was Judith Hill who seriously impressed with a reinterpreated rendition of Will.i.am and Justin Bieber's #ThatPower. "That hair is badass - I guarantee you, Adam has been on the phone with Cee Lo [Green] this week!" said Shelton of Judith's huge mohawk. Sarah Simmons struggled a little with Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know' while Amber Carrington didn't quite manage to convey the majesty of Adele's Oscar winning track 'Skyfall.'

On Team Blake, Holly Tucker chose to perform 'Done' by the Band Perry and ultimately succeeded. "There were big notes in this song, and you hit them and took them up to another level," said Usher. Over on Team Shakira, Sasha Allen was assigned 'Without You' by David Guetta and Usher, "I started comparing myself to Sasha as a singer, and that's not good [for me]," said Shelton. "I think you bought Shakira another week, for sure."

Continue reading: Warfare On 'The Voice' At Top 8 Pull Out All The Stops

Blake Shelton has announced that he is planning a benefit concert as part of the relief effort for the violent tornado that occurred in his home state of Oklahoma killing 24 people. 

The country star announced on 'The Voice' on Tuesday night (May 21st 2013) that he has teamed up with TV network NBC to organise a concert to raise funds for those who have lost their homes and families to the disastrous cyclone that took place in Moore, Oklahoma on Monday (May 20th). 'We'll know more about it in the next 24 hours', he told Billboard. 'I'm hoping it will raise a lot of money. Obviously it will be televised and will happen really quickly.' He also insisted that he can 'call in some really big favours' for the show and, according to Fox News, he already has a date and a venue fixed.

Also on the singing show, he performed a song with his wife Miranda Lambert while appealing to viewers to donate whatever they can to the Red Cross, to get help to the victims of the appalling catastrophe as soon as possible with numerous people now homeless. With this being the second major natural disaster to hit the States after Hurricane Sandy, there's no doubt that Blake will have dozens of musicians eager to help.

Continue reading: Blake Shelton Wastes No Time Organising Tornado Benefit Concert For Fellow Oklahomans

Blake Shelton is taking the well-wishing one step further - by raising hard cash. He’s teaming up with NBC to put on a benefit concert to raise money for those affected by the tragic Oklahoma tornado.

Adam Levine, Shakira, Usher and Blake Shelton discuss all things 'The Voice'

As a judge on The Voice, Shelton used his position to raise awareness, opening Tuesday night's show by performing an acoustic version of "Over You" alongside wife Miranda Lambert. Meanwhile, the donation information for The Red Cross was behind them on-screen. "I think 'Over You' was the perfect song for this situation," Shelton said later on. "The moment was right. I wish things could have been different. I wouldn't have thought about performing a song like that, but it seemed like the right thing to do." And it was later revealed that he and NBC were amidst the planning stages of a benefit concert to raise money. "We'll know more about it in the next 24 hours," Shelton told Billboard. "I'm hoping it will raise a lot of money. Obviously, it will be televised and will happen really quickly."

Continue reading: Blake Shelton Raising Hard Cash For Victims Of Oklahoma Tornado

Take note ladies, all it takes to get Usher to start stripping down is a cover of the Backstreet Boys and a broken air conditioning unit. At least that how it looks as the singer was forced to strip down during last nights (May 13) edition of The Voice, in what was probably the highlight of a still impressive show.

The singer was so taken by Garrett Gardner's rendition of 'I Want It That Way' by the Backstreet Boys that he had to take off a few layers until he was just in a vest and his trousers. Well, that and because the A/C unit was broken in the studio, but the acts on last night's show were hot that we wouldn't be surprised if it was a joint effort between the remaining acts and the A/C.

Although it was Shakira's Gardner that had Usher taking his top off, it was actually the 'Climax' singer's team that looked to have finished the night more impressively. Whilst Josiah Hawley crooned a Script cover and Michelle Chamuel won praise for her rendition of 'Call Your Girlfriend,' it was Vedo's song and dance routine to  Michael Jackson‘s 'Rock With You' that really impressed.

Usher was blown away by last nights performances

Continue reading: Usher Brings 'The Voice' Audience To Climax After Stripping Down!

Things are getting heated up over on The Voice as judges Shakira and Blake Shelton butt heads over who they want to send to the finale. The playoffs continued last Tuesday and, under Shelton’s coaching, it would be no surprise if the next Voice of America ended up being a country performer. The biggest hopeful for this season seems to be 16-year-old country songstress Danielle Bradbury, after she was named as one of the contestants to beat on this episode.

With her in the running, it might be that country is making a comeback to the talent competition. Shelton certainly knows it and he commented during last night’s performances: 'I've been saying since day one I want to bring a country music singer to the finale,' said Blake, who thinks this year he can do just that.

He does have some tough competition though, in the face of Shakira’s team, and one singer in particular: Sasha Alan. Despite Alan being a favorite for the top spot, her mentor was definitely experiencing a case of nerves before the performances began: 'I'm so nervous, you have no idea. I'm going to end up with no nails, I'm going to be biting them the whole time.'

Continue reading: The Voice Finale Approaches And Blake Shelton Is Rooting For Country

Blake Shelton has been one busy guy these past couple of days, with the return of The Voice coming earlier this week and with a new album in tow, it's imaginable that Shelton is looking forward to summer for more than just the weather, but for a chance to finally relax. Is all this nonstop action worth it for Shelton though? Well it's too early to cast a verdict on this seasons The Voice, but his album has been scrutinised by some already and the overall critique is that Based On A True Story just about passes the grade.

Blake Shelton fails to excite on A True Story, but doesn't disappoint

The album offers next to no real surprises and is just your average country release, with Metracritic averaging the scores for the album at a satisfactory, but far from overwhelming 6.2. Probably the most positive review comes from Billboard, who agree on the openness of the album, specifically the open lyrics from Shelton. Based On A True Story is just that, it is a collection of personal songs from the country star that doesn't go too deep, as Blake maintains a pich of humour on many of the tracks. As he recently revealed in USA Today, the album may be a personal journey, but it is a 'pretty light one' at that.

Continue reading: Blake Shelton's 'Based On A True Story' Just About Passes The Grade

Miranda Lambert has laughed off the Blake Shelton rumors that have suggested the couple have been hit by a cheating scandal. In true Blake / Shelton style, they have laughed off the rumors in a comic way, tweeting each other so that all of their followers can see that they’re not bothered by the gossip.

Joking about the recent tabloid scandal that suggests Shelton has had an affair with a 23 year old artist, Blake sent a tweet to Miranda, saying “Hey ‪@mirandalambert... I just read in a tabloid that our marriage is falling apart!!! FOCK!!!” to which Miranda replied “Oh no! Can't wait to read if we make it or not.” Blake quoted her tweet for his own followers to see and added “Ba! Ha! Ha! You see y'all! I'm making her funnier!”

This isn’t the first time that Blake and Miranda have been forced to deny rumors being spread about them in the press, either. Last November, word got out that the couple were expecting a baby, when they actually weren’t and they were forced to take to Twitter to defend themselves then, as well, with Miranda joking “Wow! I just read the headline! 'We are having a baby' yay! Blake Shelton, we're getting a new puppy?” If they’re willing to joke about something as serious as the breakdown of their marriage, on a social media site, can we safely assume that there’s no substance to those Blake Shelton rumors? 

Continue reading: Blake Shelton Rumors Laughed Off: Country Music Couple Still Going Strong

The Voice reached its eighth round of blind auditions - truly it feels like things are moving fast this year. Is that down to the sheer quality of the contestants and the multiple vast talking points they're giving us? We're not so sure, certainly we'd say the last couple of rounds have seen some wannabe stars perhaps harshly overlooked as spots on all four of the voice coaches teams begin to fill up.

There were nevertheless more who managed to make it to the next stage, and none more notable than Chevonne, whose back story included the fact that she's currently a backing singer for Lady GaGa and claimed that she was tired in being in her employer's shadow. You're far from the only one Chev. She added a heart-tugging touch to the story by claiming she'd struggled with an eating disorder, and soon impressed coach Cee-Lo Green with a powerful rendition of the Pretenders' Brass In Pocket.

Another notable among the handful who made it through, was 46 year-old Rudy Parris. A country veteran, he'd previously played with Hank Williams III but gave up on his career to raise his daughter. Now fully-raised, Parris was keen to get back on track and it's no surprise that he ended up with country man Blake Shelton. Among those bottoming out was the unfortunate Rod Michael; a cocky 31 year-old who claimed to be in a famous boy band from Europe, he was quickly put in his place after failing to receive a single vote.

It's getting tighter and tighter as we get to the last "blind" rounds of The Voice in the USA. With a lot of the spots now taken, there were some good performers finding it a struggle on the latest edition of the show, although in spite of that there was still good news for a couple of standouts during the course of the NBC show.

Among the most impressive was 17 year-old Brandon Mahone, as well as leading female contenders Michelle Brooks-Thompson and Terisa Griffin. Whilst these first timers impressed, their stories were eclipsed by 22 year-old Dez Duron; Duron had dropped out of college to audition in the season last year but didn't manage to turn a single coach's chair. It was a different story this time for Duron though, the delighted performer seeing Blake Shelton, Cee-Lo Green and Christina Aguilera battling for his attention. Ultimately he decided to join Team Christina.

As for the 17 year-old Mahone, it was Maroon 5's Adam Levine who proved most persuasive, telling the starlet after he'd belted out The Temptations' I Wish It Would Rain that "you seem to have studied what it is to be a performer from that era to the point where you felt like one of them ... it felt like you were just the next in line." They were words Mahone couldn't help but listen to and he'll be a threat as the weeks progress.

We're only one week into the third season NBC's The Voice, but the network is already announcing changes and they involve the departure of Christina Aguilera, as well as fellow original judge Cee-Lo Green. This season will be the last that's seen of the pair, as there is a new Aguilera album, Lotus to promote and tour, whilst Green is taking time off to work on new music and a scripted comedy about his life.

In their place? None other than Colombian singing sensation Shakira and general R'n'B superstar Usher. Not bad, as replacements go. "We are thrilled to welcome Usher and Shakira to The Voice, " Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement reported by The Clicker. "The addition of these popular iconic artists continues the tradition established by Christina, Cee Lo, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Doing two back-to-back cycles of this show requires a tremendous amount of time, and we are happy to accommodate the commitments made by Christina and Cee Lo."

Those disappointed at the news need not fear, though. Both have indicated that they will be returning to the show once they've finished with their other projects. "By pursuing my first passion of music during the break, I am also able to come back and offer even more to my team on 'The Voice' in the future," Aguilera said in a statement, whilst Green commented "Thank you, NBC, for supporting my decision to take this season four hiatus! I will return for season five and will be watching season four."