Celebrities that visit Ellen DeGeneres on her show need a thick skin and a good sense of humor. Ellen is known for testing the boundaries of her famous guests.
Notable examples include her interviews with rapper Kanye West, activist Caitlyn Jenner and pop star Taylor Swift.
The appearance of country star Blake Shelton was no exception to that rule. A particularly personal question led to one of Ellen’s most awkward interviews so far.
1. A Promising Start
The conversation between DeGeneres and Shelton started out well. Shelton, People Magazine’s former „Sexiest Man Alive“, took no offense when Ellen mentioned that he no longer holds that title.
The country star playfully brushed off every witty remark made by the host. After all, Ellen is known for playfully teasing her guests.
However, the smile on Shelton’s face faded quickly as the interview took a turn for the worst.
2. Shelton Became Visibly Upset
Once DeGeneres changed the topic to Shelton’s relationship with fellow singer Gwen Stefani, the country star wasn’t willing to play along with the host’s banter any longer.
The smile on Shelton’s face turned into a stern look, while DeGeneres tried digging deeper into the singer’s personal life.
A well entertained audience witnessed the mood of the interview slowly go downhill.
3. Shelton’s High-Profile Relationships
Shelton’s reaction to the personal question seems surprising as the country singer is no stranger to public relationships.
Media outlets watched closely, when he married his highschool sweetheart Kaynette Gern in 2003. The marriage ended in divorce after only three years.
In 2011 the singer tied the knot once again, this time with fellow country star Miranda Lambert. They parted ways in 2015.
4. The Voice
Shelton had already worked on the TV show The Voice for six seasons, when Gwen Stefani joined the judge’s table for season seven.
During their time on the show, the public eye quickly started speculating about them possibly getting closer. Shelton and Stefani got used to reporters asking about their obvious chemistry.
So what did Ellen ask for Shelton to get upset?
5. The Hot Seat
DeGeneres has proven multiple times that her talk show is no place for faint-hearted celebrities.
Guests have to endure bold questions and harsh comments during their appearance on the show. With this concept The Ellen DeGeneres show stood out from the rest and quickly turned into a fan favorite.
Shelton’s interview on DeGeneres’ show is only one of many that went viral for being awkward.
6. Dakota Johnson on Ellen
One example is the interview with Dakota Johnson, known for portraying the female protagonist in the Fifty Shades movie series.
DeGeneres blatantly asked the actress why she wasn’t invited to her birthday party. What followed can only be described as a cringeworthy scene.
Caught off guard, Johnson called DeGeneres’ statement a lie as she was, in fact, invited.
7. Tables turned
Rapper Kanye West’s appearance on Ellen went viral for a different reason.
The Chicago native is known for his eccentric personality and controversial statements. During his visit on the show he held an eight-minute-long monologue, while changing the topics numerous times.
DeGeneres’, not being able to get a word in, sat in her chair and watched silently.
8. The Accolades
While her way of interviewing celebrities has ruffled some feathers over the years, the success of The Ellen DeGeneres show is undeniable.
With her unique personality, DeGeneres quickly won over the hearts of the American public. On top of that, DeGeneres can call seven Daytime Emmy Awards her own.
However, 2016 marks the year in which DeGeneres received a particularly special award.
9. Presidential Praise
In 2016 DeGeneres was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The highlight of the ceremony was the President’s touching speech. He praised DeGeneres for bringing people together by using her comedic talent. Additionally, Obama commended the TV host’s courage to come out publicly.
That moment marks the peak of DeGeneres’ career.
10. A Valuable Seat
These accolades and the soaring ratings turned The Ellen DeGeneres show into a must-visit for all celebrities.
No other daytime TV show offered a better platform to promote new music or upcoming movie projects. Blake Shelton was one of many singers that visited DeGeneres’ show regularly over the years.
Hard to believe, that he didn’t know what to expect when he returned for another interview in December 2019.
11. Recurring Guests
Shelton’s new love interest, Gwen Stefani, had appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show several times herself. The country star and the former No Doubt frontsinger even visited DeGeneres’ show together.
However, Stefani’s latest solo visit on Ellen was the initial cause for the weird scene during Shelton’s interview. Read more in the next point.
12. Joint Interview
In 2014 both Stefani and Shelton were hired as judges for the seventh season of the singing contest TV show The Voice. It was Stefani’s debut as a coach and her first big TV appearance in years.
Reason enough for them to appear on DeGeneres’ show and promote The Voice.
13. Stefani’s Marriage
The seventh season was the first time the public and media outlets got a glimpse on Shelton and Stefani together.
At that time, Stefani’s marriage of 13 years was seemingly going strong. That was until she filed for divorce from Gavin Rossdale, lead singer of the rock band Bush, in 2015.
14. Strange Timing
It was the timing of Stefani’s divorce that got people talking.
The singer announced her relationship with Shelton in September 2015, having filed for divorce from Rossdale only one month prior.
Interestingly enough, Shelton had ended his marriage to fellow country singer Miranda Lambert in July of the same year. The public didn’t believe in a coincidence and rumors started to spread.
15. A Joint Statement
Shelton and his wife at the time, Miranda Lambert, asked the media and general public for privacy following their seperation in June 2015.
In a joint press release they announced that it is sad but inevitable that both go their separate ways. The couple added that, despite their celebrity status, they are normal people with real feelings that prefer dealing with the situation privately.
16. A Complicated Divorce
Having three sons, the divorce of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale wasn’t an easy one. However, in a statement to People magazine they initially expressed that the seperation was amicable.
Stefani and Rossdale added that, in order to give their sons a healthy environment to grow up in, they plan to maintain a friendly relationship as parents.
17. A Candid Interview
The plans to keep the media out of their private life quickly went out the window, when Stefani was interviewed by Cosmopolitan in 2016.
A year had passed since Stefani’s divorce from Rossdale and the singer took the opportunity to open up about the details of the split.
When asked by the reporter about the events leading up to the separation, Stefani referred to the situation as torture.
18. Vague Comments
Rumors about Rossdale’s alleged affairs being the reason for the divorce spread quickly.
During the aforementioned interview with Cosmopolitan, the singer replied to the speculations by saying that the truth lies in the lyrics of hr songs.
The elusive statement sparked the interest of the public even more and led to numerous theories about what message Stefani was trying to convey.
19. Real Chemistry
Fans noticed a special kind of chemistry between Shelton and Stefani during their time on The Voice. According to Stefani they both laughed about their alleged sexual tension.
At that time it remained unclear whether the singer was just trying to play her blooming relationship with Shelton down or the public was, in fact, on the wrong track.
20. Clever Editing
Stefani brushed the flirting between her and Shelton off as NBC’s attempt to create buzz for the seventh season of The Voice, which aired in winter 2014. A strategy that worked well.
Yet there seemed to be more to the story than clever editing, as the singer did attest to having a special connection with Shelton.
21. Making It Public
Stefani returned as a coach for the ninth season of The Voice. The show aired in winter 2015, when her relationship with Shelton was already made official.
With both of them being stars in their respective genre and judges on one of the most watched TV shows at that time, they quickly became Hollywood’s new power couple.
22. Ellen’s Interrogation
Whenever Stefani or Shelton appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the host didn’t shy away from trying to get the details of their relationship.
DeGeneres and Stefani know each other personally. So when the singer returned to the talk show in December 2018, intimate questions were the main focus of the interview.
23. Speculations
DeGeneres expressed her happiness about Stefani’s success with her music and her new partner. That’s good to hear. The host went on to praise the singer for overcoming the hard times gracefully.
Given the prior statements by Stefani herself, many understood DeGeneres’ words as a jab at Gavin Rossdale. Continue reading.
24. Getting Emotional
The visibly touched singer became emotional upon hearing DeGeneres’ praise.
The host quickly changed the tone of the interview by asking more light-hearted questions and, as usual, teasing her guest. The host inquired about the status of Stefani’s relationship with Shelton, jokingly claiming the latter had already confirmed their engagement on the show.
25. The Denial
Stefani quickly responded by denying the engagement to Shelton.
DeGeneres, however, wasn’t quite willing to let that topic go just yet. Emphasizing the alleged confirmation by Shelton, she pressured Stefani even more into revealing the details of their current relationship status. But she clearly didn’t want that. Read more in the next point.
26. A Weird Exchange
Not willing to give in, Stefani repeated that Shelton isn’t her fiancé but her boyfriend.
DeGeneres, not listening to what her guest had to say, kept on pushing in hopes to get a candid reply out of the singer. While the host repeatedly asked when her and Shelton will tie the knot, Stefani’s answers got shorter.
27. The Matchmaker
DeGeneres is no stranger to taking over the love life of her guests.
So when Shelton visited her show in May 2019, the host recalled her interview with Jennifer Lopez. DeGeneres proudly mentioned how she helped with the singer’s engagement to Alex Rodriguez before changing the subject to Shelton’s relationship with Stefani.
Just like with Jennifer Lopez, DeGeneres gave Shelton a clock that symbolizes the ticking time.
28. The Infamous Interview
The awkward interview between Shelton and DeGeneres happened, when he returned to her show later that year.
In December 2019 DeGeneres inquired about what happened to the clock she gave him, considering several months had passed and no engagement had been announced. That was the point when Shelton got visibly upset.
29. Tangible Tension
The singer called DeGeneres out by questioning the importance of the clock stating that he wasn’t even allowed to keep it after the show.
At first, the host seemed startled by Shelton revealing what goes on behind the scenes of the show. She then denied being aware of this before trying to diffuse the uncomfortable situation.
Shelton continued by criticizing DeGeneres for using the clock gag to humiliate celebrities for the sake of her show.
30. A Happy End
Being the professional entertainer that she is, DeGeneres used her quick-witted comedic talent to ease the tension between herself and Shelton.
At the end of the interview the country star gifted DeGeneres with a doll, that was made based on his character in UglyDolls. Taking one final jab at the host he ensured that, contrary to the clock, she won’t have to give it back after the show.
