‘The Voice’ Will Be ‘Harder’ For Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton After Adam Levine’s Exit

Although Blake Shelton is sad Adam Levine won’t appear on “The Voice” Season 17, the “God’s Country” singer is psyched about his girlfriend, Gwen Stefani’s return as a coach on the NBC singing competition.

Shelton and Stefani met on the reality series, and have been dating for over three years. While their relationship is solid, the 43-year-old believes his girlfriend may have a tough time when she returns to the series.

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the “Austin” artist spoke about how Stefani’s return has changed his perspective on Levine’s shocking exit. “Literally, you know, with Adam being gone, I’m not gonna lie, that was scary. It’s weird,” he explained.

"Without him here, it’s literally shocking to not have him here,” he added.

When “The Voice” Season 17 premieres, Shelton will be on the judges’ panel alongside Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Stefani. “I couldn’t be happier that she's back on the show," he said of the “No Doubt” singer.

Shelton revealed Stefani’s addition to the cast may make the show more interesting due to her non-competitive nature. “You know, she wants to win, and I want to win, and that’s what they pay us to do on this show is to try to win the show,” he explained.

“It’s harder for [Gwen]. She’s not, she’s not competitive. She’ll be the first to tell you right up until it gets competitive and then all of a sudden she is.”

Although things may get tense toward the end of the competition, fans may see sweet moments between the couple throughout the series. “Gwen and Blake have been having the best time while shooting ‘The Voice,” a source previously told ET.

“They laugh so much on set and backstage and aren’t shy about showing their affection and are better than ever. Gwen seems secure and happy to be back. Their relationship is so different from when they first started dating on ‘The Voice,’” the insider added.

“The Voice” Season 17 premieres Monday, Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. EDT on NBC.