‘The Voice’: Gwen Stefani Calls Blake Shelton a ‘Jerk’

The competition between Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton is heating up on this season of The Voice and took a surprising turn during Tuesday night’s episode. Austin Montgomery, 19, impressed the two stars with his cover of Hank Williams’ “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You).” This prompted Shelton to suggest Stefani did not know her Country Music history, and Stefani quickly called him a jerk.

As Montgomery performed, Stefani, Shelton, and Camila Cabello all turned their chairs around and hoped he would join their team. In her pitch, Stefani praised Montgomery as an “old soul” for picking a song recorded 71 years ago. The “Hollaback Girl” singer noted that Montgomery must listen mostly to “everybody that everybody’s grandpa would know.”

Shelton then stepped in to tease his fellow coaches. “Austin, I think it would be very important for you to ask the three of us who sings that song you just performed,” he said. “At least one of us knows who wrote and sang that song.”

Stefani, who married Shelton last year, called her husband a “jerk” for suggesting she and the other coaches would not know a Hank Williams song. She quickly shrugged it off though, even endorsing Shelton as the perfect coach for Montgomery. “That man right there, he loves what you do… Like, I wanna coach you, but I want to be real,” she said. Montgomery followed Stefani’s advice and joined Shelton’s team.

The fun interplay between the coaches has always been a signature part of The Voice, but it has reached a new level between Stefani and Shelton in Season 22. This is their first together as husband and wife, and it looks like they enjoy exchanging jabs in front of millions of viewers. “It’s just pretty fun… Like, ‘Happy Anywhere,’ you know what I’m saying?” Stefani told Entertainment Tonight before the season kicked off, referencing one of their songs.

Meanwhile, John Legend is predicting Shelton will lose this season because of Stefani. “I think like I said, she takes the edge off him just a little bit,” Legend said. “She is his weakness.”

Shelton is the only coach to star in every season of The Voice so far. This is Cabello’s first time and Stefani’s first time since Season 19. Legend has coached every season since Season 16. Cabello is filling in for Kelly Clarkson, who took a break this season to focus on The Kelly Clarkson Show and her family. The Voice airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and is available to stream at Peacock.