Gwen Stefani Says It’s ‘Bittersweet’ to Rejoin ‘Best Friend’ Blake Shelton on ‘The Voice’ Without Adam Levine

Gwen Stefani can’t wait to get back to work with her boyfriend and “best friend,” Blake Shelton, on NBC’s The Voice.

Following Adam Levine’s exit from the singing competition series, Stefani made an appearance on CBS's The Talk on Tuesday, to discuss how she is set to return to the show (on which Shelton is also a coach) to fill the spot left empty by the Maroon 5 singer.

“It’s going to be fun and exciting,” said Stefani, who previously worked on seasons seven, nine and 12 of the series. “Blake’s my best friend. So, I get to hang out with him at work. It’s going to be great.”

Levine announced his departure from the show after 16 seasons, explaining that it was “time to move on,” in a lengthy Instagram post on May 24.

Stefani shared how the prospect of returning to The Voice was “such a shock,” considering how much she wanted the job. “I wanted to come back so bad. I mean, the show is so fun,” she said.

However, the No Doubt singer, who is also busy with her Just a Girl residency at Planet Hollywood’s Zappos Theatre in Las Vegas, admitted it was going to feel strange returning to the show without Levine sitting next to her. After all, it was Levine who encouraged her to take the gig initially.

“Adam was actually the first person to reach out to me when they were trying to pitch me the show,” she said. “He texted me out of nowhere, and I didn’t even really know him [back then]. And he was like, ‘You got to do it. It’s the greatest show. It’s so fun!’”

“So, to think that he’s not going to be there [is] bittersweet,” she continued. “And plus, being between him and Blake and the amount of laughter -- I would have to stop and massage my face because it would hurt!”

But Stefani said she was happy for Levine since he can now return his focus to his own music, as well as fatherhood.

“I’m happy for Adam because he’s been doing it 16 seasons,” she said. “He has his baby. He’s going to be able to go on tour and do music in a different kind of way. It’s exciting for me though.”

As for Stefani and Shelton’s future behind the show, a source recently told ET that the pair, who have been together since 2015, are in no rush to tie the knot.

"Gwen and Blake have come so far and are happier than they have ever been," the source said. "Blake talks about Gwen nonstop. Just this week his friends were talking about how he glows when he refers to her. He gushes about her a lot and it’s really sweet."

"They have talked a lot about marriage, but have decided that life has been so great that they don't want to rock the boat yet," the source added. "They are so incredibly in love and have supported each other through tough times. They truly are best friends and have made their lives work together despite their very busy schedules."

See more on The Voice below.

RELATED CONTENT:

Christina Aguilera Addresses Adam Levine's Sudden Departure From 'The Voice' (Exclusive)

John Legend Reacts to Adam Levine's 'Sad' Departure From 'The Voice'

Adam Levine’s New Show Debuts Days After 'The Voice' Exit

Related Gallery

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton's Cutest Moments