Blake Shelton is using an assortment of tactics to get contestants on The Voice to join his team.
According to International Business Times , Shelton’s latest scheme is name dropping Gwen Stefani to impress singers. Is he using Stefani’s name for the right reasons?
“To get people on his team, Blake will say, ‘I don’t want to brag, but my girlfriend is the queen of ska,’” an insider revealed to Us Weekly .
It isn’t known if the plan is working, though mentioning Stefani to potential team members probably doesn’t hurt.
In fact, Shelton has used a name-dropping tactic before, only he was married to Miranda Lambert when he did it.
“Blake used to say, ‘My wife, Miranda Lambert, is the best female country star,’” the source continued.
Shelton and Lambert separated last summer after four years of marriage. They did not have any children together.
Meanwhile, the news follows reports of trust issues between Shelton and the No Doubt frontwoman.
Stefani is currently kicking off her summer tour to promote This Is What the Truth Feels Like, and will spend a lot of time away from her boyfriend.
For his part, Shelton is filming for The Voice and promoting his newest album, If I’m Honest . Apparently, the time apart has led to some problems between the two singers.
Stefani is reportedly worried that Shelton will be unfaithful given the long absence.
Despite the rumors, the source also revealed that Shelton can’t stop bringing up his romance on The Voice .
“He talks about Gwen a lot,” the insider stated. “He’s always gushing about her and is so happy!”
That being said, Gossip Cop has since debunked the reports about Shelton’s name-dropping. Although a source indicated that Shelton may have mentioned Stefani, he wasn’t using her to lure potential team members.
According to the Celebrity Cafe , Stefani will once again miss out on the upcoming season of The Voice .
Unfortunately, fans will not get to watch Shelton and Stefani gush over each other this season. Instead, Alicia Keys and Miley Cyrus are joining the show as the two new coaches in Season 11.
Blake Shelton and Adam Levine are the only returning judges next season, which is set to premiere September 19 on NBC.
It isn’t known if Stefani will make a surprise cameo this season or not. Given her busy touring schedule, her fate on the hit show is uncertain.
Meanwhile, OK Magazine is reporting that Shelton is ready to take his relationship with Stefani to the next level. In particular, Shelton is ready to pop the big question and exchange vows with the “Misery” singer.
However, if the name-dropping reports are true, then Shelton might marry Stefani for the wrong reasons.
After all, Shelton used to mention Lambert’s name for the same purpose, and that relationship didn’t end well. Are Shelton and Stefani heading down the same road?
For now, it isn’t clear is Shelton really is using Stefani’s name for his own benefit. If Shelton is name-dropping to his advantage, then it might be an indication that he isn’t ready to move forward in his romance with Stefani.
The truth, fortunately, will be revealed once the new season of The Voice hits televisions in the fall.
Until then, rumors about Shelton’s motivations are likely to persist.
Of course, a proposal and/or wedding could quash the questions surrounding Shelton and Stefani’s heated romance.
As far as Stefani is concerned, she was married to Gavin Rossdale before a cheating scandal ended their marriage last summer.
Stefani and Shelton started their relationship in November – a few months after their respective divorces – and haven’t looked back since.
Tell us! If you were Blake Shelton would you drop Gwen Stefani’s name? Let us know in the comments below.
[Image via NBC]