There are few things the admittedly frugal Blake Shelton is willing to splurge on, butsince marrying Gwen Stefani, the country superstar has shelled out a small fortune on… flower seeds.
The couple has grown multiple gardens' worth of zinnias and sunflowers, and the Icelandic lilies are still a work in progress.
“We gowayover-the-top,” Shelton — whosenew game show,Barmageddon, premiered Monday night on USA Network — tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week’s cover story. “It’s embarrassing how much we spend on seeds. Besides music, gardening has been our biggest bonding activity.”
For all the details onBlake Shelton’s family life and his new showBarmageddon, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
David McClister
“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 watchOzarkeight times,'” he says. “That’s our life now, and we love it.”
For more on PEOPLE’s cover story with Blake Shelton, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
“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 says. “When I started onThe 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.”
He also got a firsthand look at television production and was inspired during the pandemic to createBarmageddonwith his close friendCarson Daly.
“In all the time I’ve been working in television, I’ve really just been a guy the network or producers say, ‘Hey, go over here and then go over here and be funny,'” he says. “I never really got to understand what goes on behind the scenes.”
“I’ve been media trained, but I wasn’t cut from that cloth ever, and Carson is so good at capturing that personality of being in the moment. He was the perfect guy for me to do this thing with and learn from,” says Shelton ofBarmageddon, which seesmany of their celebrity friends— includingElle King,Kane BrownandSheryl Crow— participate in over-the-top bar games.
Now withBarmageddonunder his belt, Shelton says he’s “open” to whatever may come his way — but he’s in no rush to book another gig.
After decades of tending to his career, he’s prioritizing time with Stefani, 53, andher sons Kingston, 16, Zuma, 14, and Apollo, 8. (Their dad is Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale, Stefani’s ex-husband.)
Shelton and Stefani with Kingston, Zuma and Apollo.Gwen Stefani instagram
“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,” says Shelton, who celebrated hisfirst wedding anniversarywith Stefani in July.
“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 continues. “[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.”
These days, Shelton says his happiest times are whenhe’s back home in Oklahomawith the whole family.
Blake Shelton.David McClister
“We get away from everything [in L.A.], and we’re justus. It truly does feel different,” he says. “That’s where I feel the most comfortable, happy and safe.”
After tying the knot with Stefani in July 2021, Shelton says he’s feeling “settled” with the No Doubt rocker.
“The relationship that we have is so natural and so normal. This feels like the easiest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” he says of marriage. “To me,she’s my best friendand everything that I need and lean on.”
Now, Shelton is ready to slow down and enjoy everything he’s worked to achieve.
“I’ve had people say, ‘Man, come on. You’re not quittingThe Voice[to do] nothing!’ But I really am. Please, I’m accepting ideas,” he jokes. “I haveBarmageddon— we can do a whole season in a couple weeks, and it’s a blast for me — andmy Lands’ End clothing line. It’s time to push some of this [work] stuff out and let more family and personal life in.”
source: people.com
