Gwen Stefani on Returning to ‘The Voice’: ‘Competition Makes Me Really Uncomfortable’

Gwen Stefani is returning to The Voice for her fourth time in the upcoming 17th season after Adam Levine announced he was leaving. Stefani is eager to return to the reality TV talent show, even though she admits it takes her way out of her comfort zone.

“I’m not a competitive person,” Stefani told Travel Girl of the challenges. “In fact, competition makes me really uncomfortable. It was probably one of the reasons I almost didn’t do the show, because I couldn’t picture myself pitching myself and trying to fight, especially against a very competitive person like Adam Levine. Blake [Shelton] and Adam were so good at that. The longer I was on the show, the more I understood what I needed to do to ‘pitch’ for an artist and to go for it.”

Stefani gets almost as much from being on The Voice as she imparts on the aspiring singers.

“Coaching on The Voice was very inspiring and very good timing for me in my life to do something like that,” said Stefani, who first appeared on the reality TV talent show in 2014. “It made me reflect on everything I’ve done in the past and it kind of gave me my confidence back, because I was able to go, ‘Wow, I did all of that.’ Watching these artists get up there and go through so much pressure and learn in this boot camp in such a short amount of time is something I don’t think I could have really done.

“So, it was a really amazing experience and sometimes you just can’t really put your finger on what you’re looking for, but it’s something about the ease that someone might have that connects,” she continued. “The gift that’s in them — maybe it’s not necessarily the most technically great voice, but it’s the personality, the heart and the thing you can’t really put words to. It’s the magic of whatever that gift is they’re given and whatever way they can be emotional with the way they sing – that’s what I’m drawn to. It was so inspiring to be around so much talent.”

Stefani previously opened up about being back on the show where she met and fell in love with Shelton, admitting she had mixed feelings about being the one to replace Levine.

“To think that [Adam’s] not going to be there is bittersweet,” Stefani shared on The Talk. “And plus, being between him and Blake, the amount of laughter, I would have to stop and massage my face, because it would hurt.

“But it’s going to be fun, it’s going to be exciting,” she continued. “Blake’s my best friend, so I get to hang out with him at work. I wanted to come back so bad. I mean, the show is so fun.”

Season 17 of The Voice will premiere on Sept. 23.

Photo Credit: Getty images / Jason LaVeris