Blake Shelton has been open about how much his life has changed since becoming a stepfather to Gwen Stefani’s three sons. In fact, being able to spend more time with his family is one of the reasons the country singer is stepping away from The Voice at the end of its current season. When those paternal instincts kicked in, they must have hit Shelton hard, because he seems to have found a surrogate son in new coach Niall Horan, and the duo shared a sweet exchange on social media ahead of the final rounds of Blind Auditions.
The bond between Blake Shelton and Niall Horan has been a pleasant surprise so far in Season 23. Longtime fans of the show knew what to expect from the cowboy’s rivalry with Kelly Clarkson — they reignited their feud even before the episodes began airing — but the former One Direction member and Chance the Rapper have proven to fit in well with the veteran coaches, with the father/son relationship being particularly heartwarming. Shelton paid homage to his new “son” on his Instagram Stories over the weekend, posting:
I’m not actually sure which is more adorable — Blake Shelton’s words about when he knew Niall Horan was meant to be his son or the way the “Heaven” singer is looking at the longtime coach. On The Voice, the two have taken to calling each other “Dad” and “Son” exclusively, as evidenced by Horan’s equally sweet response on his own Stories:
Niall Horan has had only glowing things to say about the coach who’s become best known on the show for his shenanigans. Blake Shelton even trolled his wife Gwen Stefani when she was a coach on The Voice last season, and he even traded shots with Carson Daly’s 13-year-old son. But Horan thinks Shelton is a “beauty,” and he said his new "dad" couldn’t have been more welcoming when he joined the show, even helping him through the “terrible” parts.
Watching them interact during the Blind Auditions so far has been hilarious. Niall Horan has worked to perfect Blake Shelton’s country twang, to the point where the cowboy sometimes lets the Heartbreak Weather artist give his pitch to potential Team Blake members. Horan has also perfected Shelton’s trademark “finger-point,” and fans have been treated to a number of heartwarming interactions between the two, including them joking about going fishing together and Horan helping “old man” Shelton stand up from his chair. Check out some more moments from this special bond:
The father/son dynamic is different from the usual ribbing that happens between The Voice coaches, and I, for one, am excited to see how it continues to develop further into the competition. The Blind Auditions will wrap up this week, so tune in at 8 p.m. ET Monday and 9 p.m. ET Tuesday on NBC. Also check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what premieres are coming soon.
