Looking Back at Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton’s Hilarious ‘The Voice’ Rivalry
NBC Reading Time: 3 minutes
The Voice recently highlighted the iconic relationship between coaches Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton. The two singers are constantly bickering and poking fun at each other, to the point that their fellow coaches Ariana Grande and John Legend feel like parents caught in the middle.
The show’s newest tribute to the pair recalls one of their first interactions on the show, when Shelton criticized Clarkson for not hitting her button yet in the Blind Auditions. “I knew that you were gonna blow this,” he told her, and she responded, “Oh my God, I hate you!”
This made us want to take a look back at some of their other iconic moments, both on the show and off. Clarkson has described them as being like siblings, and there’s really no better way to put it.
1. Blake Shelton Steals Kelly Clarkson’s Crown on ‘The Voice’
In Season 15, Clarkson wore a literal crown to the Blind Auditions to remind the other coaches that she was the reigning champion, having won the year before with Brynn Cartelli. She and Shelton had made a bet that required him to call her “Queen Kelly” if she won.
However, when artist Dave Fenley chose Shelton over Clarkson during the Blind Auditions, the country star literally stole her crown and put it on his own head. He bragged that she “was dethroned by Queen Blake.” The audience applauded, and Clarkson told Shelton he looked pretty in the crown.
2. Clarkson Is Furious at Shelton for Blocking Her
During Season 19 of The Voice, Shelton blocked Clarkson in a bid to get artist Taryn Papa on his team. Clarkson took a while to realize she had even been blocked, but when Taryn herself brought it to the coach’s attention, she immediately knew who had done it.
Clarkson stood up and angrily shouted, “Blake!” Shelton tried to deny it, but Legend pointed out that he was the first one to turn around. Shelton then attempted to pin it on Gwen Stefani, saying she was pretending to be shocked that Clarkson was blocked. It worked out for him, because Taryn ended up choosing to join his team.
SEE ALSO: KELLY CLARKSON STEALS BLAKE SHELTON’S WIN CAM WITH YOUNG DUO
3. Grande and Legend Get a Snack While the Siblings Argue
We’re currently in Season 21, and Shelton and Clarkson haven’t stopped bickering. Things got so heated after Lana Scott’s Blind Audition that fellow coaches Grande and Legend actually walked off set and spent a few minutes munching on popcorn while the siblings argued.
“Oh, it’s still going,” Grande remarked when the pair decided to head back to their chairs and heard Clarkson and Shelton bickering about their country cred. When Shelton inexplicably claimed that he’d “played NFL football,” Grande wondered aloud, “What is happening?”
4. Shelton Gives Clarkson the Worst Gift Ever on Her Show
Last year, Shelton made his fourth appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. To celebrate, Clarkson presented him with a Team Kelly jacket as a gift. Shelton complained that it was “out of the box of crap that you had left over from the Blind Auditions.”
Shelton also happened to have a gift for the host. He brought out a giant board that he called the “Wall of Champions.” It included every celebrity who beat Clarkson at games on her show. He claimed that he had written the names down himself while watching.
5. Shelton Sides with Clarkson in Her Divorce
Arguably Shelton and Clarkson’s best moment happened off screen. Clarkson filed for divorce from her husband Brandon Blackstock last year, and Shelton had her back when things got sticky. Blackstock previously served as Shelton’s manager.
However, the drama apparently hasn’t caused a strain in Shelton’s friendship with Clarkson. TMZ reported earlier this year that the country star had “terminated his relationship” with Blackstock. He and Clarkson may fight over artists on The Voice, but there’s clearly a lot of love between them in real life.
