Carson Daly has revealed that he was once strongly against Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani becoming a couple. Looking back during “The Voice: 30th Season Celebration,” Daly admitted he genuinely believed the relationship would never work and even tried to convince them to slow things down.
The surprising story came during the September 17 special, when Daly reunited with Shelton, Adam Levine, CeeLo Green and Stefani to revisit memorable moments from “The Voice.” Naturally, the conversation eventually turned to the romance that unexpectedly developed between Shelton and Stefani.
Daly remembered realizing something might be happening between the two while leaving Levine’s dressing room. Rumors were already circulating, but Daly initially struggled to imagine Shelton and Stefani actually becoming a serious couple.
Adam Levine had almost the opposite reaction. While Daly was skeptical, Levine recalled being excited about the possibility and believing very early that the relationship was really happening. Stefani even appeared surprised during the reunion when Levine revealed how quickly he had figured things out.
Daly then made an even bigger admission: he actively tried to discourage the romance. He said he “tried everything in my power” to prevent things from moving forward, while Shelton confirmed that Daly had indeed encouraged them to “pump the brakes.”
His concern was not simply about Shelton and Stefani appearing to be an unlikely match. Both singers were emerging from highly publicized marriages in 2015. Shelton and Miranda Lambert divorced that year, while Stefani filed for divorce from Gavin Rossdale after approximately 14 years of marriage.
Daly knew both stars personally and apparently worried about them beginning another serious relationship so quickly. He remembered telling them to stop and warning that he believed the relationship would never work. His comments during the anniversary special suggest the advice came from concern rather than opposition to either person.
Despite Daly’s doubts, Shelton and Stefani continued seeing each other and publicly confirmed their relationship in November 2015. Interestingly, Daly’s comments at the time were less dramatic publicly: he joked on “Today” about the unlikely pairing of the “goofy cowboy” and the “queen of cool.”
Their relationship continued for years, eventually proving Daly’s original prediction wrong. Shelton and Stefani announced their engagement in October 2020, roughly five years after their romance became public.
Then came an especially ironic moment for Daly. The same man who had once encouraged them to reconsider their relationship received a call from Shelton asking him to officiate their wedding. Daly accepted, completing a remarkable turnaround from skeptical friend to an important participant in their marriage ceremony.
Shelton and Stefani married in July 2021 at Shelton’s Oklahoma ranch, with Daly officiating. Their relationship has remained closely connected with “The Voice,” where they originally met as Coaches in 2014 and later appeared together after becoming a couple.
More than a decade after their relationship began, the story has become one of the more personal pieces of “The Voice” history. Daly can now laugh about trying to stop a romance he was convinced would fail—only to eventually stand beside Shelton and Stefani as they became husband and wife
