Art Streiber/NBCNever in the history of The Voice has Blake Shelton spoken so kindly about one of his competitors, as he does about new coach Kelly Clarkson.
“I’ve known Kelly for about ten years now,” he explains, “and we’ve been great friends. In fact, to the point where she’s such great friends, she ended up marrying my manager.”
“It’s just been great to see her career grow and take off like it has,” he continues, “and also to see her personal life probably become the ultimate dream come true for Kelly, as I know her as a friend. And I love that. I love her.”
Blake predicts that closeness won’t make it any less tense, however, when the two go up against each other in season 14. In fact, Blake even sounds a little intimidated by the superstar who got her start on American Idol.
“She is not fun to be in competition with, though, I can tell you,” Blake says. “It doesn’t make it easier to be Kelly’s friend going into this thing, in a competitive nature. She definitely will go for the throat.”
Kelly’s husband — and Blake’s manager — is Brandon Blackstock, whose father Narvel used to be married to Reba McEntire. Kelly and Brandon have two children together, daughter River Rose, and son Remington Alexander.
Blake and Kelly begin butting heads tonight at 8 p.m. ET, when the latest season of The Voicepremieres on NBC.
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