Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are approaching their fourth wedding anniversary and continue to be more devoted than ever in their love for each other.
However, they do have a secret ingredient to their almost 10-year relationship, and it's not what people might think.
Keeping the spark alive
© Getty ImagesThe No Doubt songstress revealed on The Drew Barrymore Show that the best marriage advice she had ever received was to "make sure you have a third party," before pointing upwards at the sky.
The devout Catholic was referring to how God and her faith play an important role in her relationship with Blake, allowing them a fresh perspective on their love. Gwen then revealed that her preferred date night with her husband was a night in with their dogs and a slew of snacks.
"I'm literally like — couch, blanket, cookies, chips," she told the host. "I have the dogs right here; we have two couches...Blake's on that couch and we're like 'Hi!'"
"I would sit next to him," she quipped, "but he's gigantic and we don't fit anywhere."
A rocky start
© Kevin Mazur, GettyThe couple first met on The Voice in 2014 as judges on the hit show, with Gwen's marriage to her rocker husband Gavin Rossdale breaking down at the same time that Blake was on the rocks with his country superstar wife Miranda Lambert.
"We had just met, and it was chaos," Gwen revealed to People about feeling the spark between them after divorcing their spouses. "Both of our lives were in complete turmoil, all over the ground. Nothing could save us at that point."
"There was a point where I was like, 'I can't even talk to you. This is insane. I already have enough problems. This is not happening anymore. We're not going to text or nothing.'"
© InstagramBlake wouldn't be discouraged though, and won her over with a song he was working on for her. The pair confirmed their relationship to the public in November 2015, and have been madly in love ever since.
The "Sweet Escape" singer opened up about how meeting Blake was a "miracle" that came at the time she needed it the most.
"Something that I wanted since I was a little girl is to be married and have this love that I saw my parents have and have babies. That dream was completely ruined; it was crushed, and I had to figure out how I was going to move forward and make a new dream," she told the publication. "And God putting Blake in my life was just that miracle.”
Gwen Stefani: 5 surprising facts
© Emma McIntyre1. Love story
Gwen Stefani met her husband, country singer Blake Shelton, in 2014 while they were both coaches on season seven on The Voice. They began dating the following year and got married in June 2021.
2. Acting dreams
Gwen revealed on The Ellen Show that she auditioned for the lead role in the action-comedy film, Mr & Mrs Smith (2005). While Gwen has appeared in several films, the role ultimately went to Angelina Jolie.
3. Beauty secret
One of Gwen's beauty secrets is that she rarely uses a makeup artist. In a 2022 interview with Glamour, Gwen shared that she usually prefers to do her makeup. In fact, she once stepped in last minute to do her glam for the Met Gala.
4. Harajuku girls
Throughout her career, Gwen has faced controversy over her music videos, particularly for her use of four Harajuku girl backup dancers. She received criticism for cultural appropriation but explained to TIME in 2014: ''There’s always going to be two sides to everything. For me, everything that I did with the Harajuku Girls was just a pure compliment and being a fan… Seriously, that was all meant out of love.''
5. Promoting prayer
Gwen has partnered with the Hallow app to promote her Catholic faith, using her platform to encourage others to connect with their spirituality. She has been promoting the prayer app on Instagram encouraging her fans to take part.
Stepping into parenthood
© FilmMagicBlake is a proud stepfather to Gwen's three children, whom she shares with Gavin. He dotes on Kingston, 18, Zuma, 16, and Apollo, 11, introducing them to country music and taking them on father-son trips.
"Even though I'm a stepparent, I take that job very seriously," he told People. "The kids see me as a very important person in their life."
"For now, that's our kids," he added. "This isn't about me anymore and never will be again." The Grammy nominee left his role on The Voice in 2022 to be more present for Gwen and her sons.
To learn more about Gwen's life with Blake, see below...
