Telling it like it is! Blake Shelton had no problem addressing his anxiety over the upcoming CMA Awards during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers. The Voice coach, 39, who divorced his wife of four years, Miranda Lambert, this summer, is prepared for some uncomfortable jokes when the CMAs air on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Click here to see pics of Blake and Miranda before the split.
“This year’s gonna be awkward at the CMAs, speaking of jokes,” Shelton told Meyers. “Because we are, it’s such a family. Everybody there is friends. There’s gotta be one about me and Miranda. [Host] Brad Paisley is not doing his job if he doesn’t look down there and go ‘Ha ha!’ You have to address the elephant in the room. We’ve had the conversations like, ‘Okay, dude. I’ll sit there and let you kick me in the face a few times.’ I know it’s coming.”
Shelton and Lambert, 31, have attended the show together since 2007, even accepting joint awards at times. This will be their first solo red carpet in eight years.
But the “Honey Bee” singer, who has remained amicable with his ex on social media, is focused on his work on The Voice. The team recently brought on Rihanna as a celebrity mentor, and Shelton, whom Us Weekly has already reported is flirting up a storm with fellow judge Gwen Stefani, noted that he was trying to catch the attention of the “FourFiveSeconds” singer.
“She’s such a smart-ass,” he said of Rihanna. “I never could get the upper hand with her. I was trying to get her to be a bit flirty, I mean, why not? I’m a perfect match for Rihanna. And so I was coming up with our couple name ‘Blihanna’ was one of them and ‘Rake.’”