Gwen And Blake's Romance Giving 'The Voice' Ratings A Boost
Fans of pop star Gwen Stefani and country crooner Blake Shelton were overjoyed when the two "The Voice" coaches confirmed that they were dating. Now, a report from an insider claims that the couple's romance is driving viewers to the show and giving "The Voice" a significant boost in ratings.
"People are tuning in just to see the sparks fly between them, so they were told to keep the momentum going and make it even steamier," the insider tells Radar.
According to Nielsen, the Nov. 30 episode of "The Voice" was seen by 12.56 million viewers, a major increase from the previous Monday's 10.29 million. Radar also reports that people working behind the scenes of "The Voice" believe that Stefani and Shelton's new controversial relationship is driving thrilled fans to watch the show.
The source adds: "Gwen's whole 'I love you, Blake' thing was not planned. However, it was perfect and they loved it."
Last week, Stefani blurted out "I love you too, Blake!" in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. The couple further heated things up in a selfie that the No Doubt rocker posted to Twitter on Monday, in which Shelton is giving his girlfriend's shoulder an affectionate bite.
"The executives already want to keep Gwen for next season and keep the cast as is," the show insider says. "The way things are going right now, there is no reason to sub her out for Christina."
"Everyone just hopes that Gwen and Blake stay together," the insider tells Radar.
Blake Shelton filed for divorce from his wife of four years, fellow country singer Miranda Lambert, in July. In August, Stefani pulled the plug on her 13-year marriage with English musician Gavin Rossdale. Stefani and Rossdale have three children: Kingston, 9, Zuma, 7, and Apollo, 1. Stefani's rep confirmed that she and her fellow "The Voice" coach had started dating after photos of the two began surfacing online in late October.
