Blake Shelton is clearly Gwen Stefani’s No. 1 fan as evidenced by his sweet speech during her Hollywood Walk of Fame induction ceremony.
“The first time that I ever met Gwen was in 2014. She wasn’t like any other famous person that I had ever met before. She drove herself to work in a black minivan with car seats in it,” Shelton, 47, recalled on Thursday, October 19, referring to their joint first season on The Voice. “She didn’t roll in with security. She came in with a baby and two little boys, which at the time worked like security because nobody was going near — it was chaos.”
As the country singer regaled the Los Angeles crowd with the story of their introduction, Stefani, 54, chuckled while standing beside her husband.
“It was clear to me that she was a mother first and foremost over anything else in the world — that was her No. 1 job,” Shelton added, as Stefani wiped away tears. “And now, standing here almost 10 years later after I first met her, I can say without question that being a mother is still the most important thing in her life. And I got to tell you all, that’s rare in this business.”
Shelton — who received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in May — further gushed about Stefani’s accomplishments in music, movies, television and fashion design.
“She has risen to the top over and over again with her unique style that has made the world fall in love with her,” Shelton quipped. “Not as much as me, though.”
He continued: “Now, I know firsthand that it takes a lot of people to make a hit record. But none of this would have ever happened without Gwen Stefani, the songwriter. So congratulations to my all-time favorite songwriter on your star. You deserve this and I love you.”
Shelton and Stefani tied the knot in July 2021 after six years of dating and he’s become a stepfather to her three sons: Kingston, 17, Zuma, 15, and Apollo, 10. The kids, whom the former No Doubt singer shares with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale, were present for Thursday’s ceremony.
At the end of the event, Stefani took the podium and revealed that she knew “best friend” Shelton’s speech would “make [her] cry.”
“You have given me the kind of love I never knew before,” Stefani said, speaking directly to Shelton. “The minute I met you, I knew that I was home and I am so, so proud that you’re mine. I can’t believe it. I love you so much.”
Shelton and Stefani met on the set of The Voice. He recently stepped down from his long-running perch as a coach on the NBC competition show earlier this year. “It’s been such a relief to have more flexibility with his schedule,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in September. “Seeing Blake ultra-relaxed and in family mode is so endearing to Gwen and reminds her what a catch he is.”
Stefani has since returned for season 24 of The Voice, which is currently airing, opposite coaches Reba McEntire, John Legend and reigning champ Niall Horan.
