From Humble Beginnings To Stardom
Before these celebrities were going toe to toe onscreen they both came from humble beginnings. Ellen DeGeneres never thought she was the funniest member of her family and only got her start in stand-up in 1981.
Slowly she began to be recognized for her talent and in 1986 was famously invited to sit on Johnny Carson’s couch after her performance. This distinction began to open doors for her that she never dreamed possible. How would she go from an unknown comic to having one of the most popular daytime television shows?
Painting Houses And Writing Songs
Blake Shelton always wanted to be a performer and was introduced to Mae Boren Axton after a high school performance. She convinced him to get a job painting houses while she introduced him to other professional singer-songwriters.
Shelton was signed under Giant Records and released his first single in 2001. It quickly climbed the hot billboard charts. Was Shelton on his way to the top of country music or would his record label sell him out for a new star?
What Happened After The Couch
After Ellen was invited to sit on the couch with Johnny Carson her popularity surged. She was signed to star in a prime-time sitcom originally titled ‘These Friends of Mine’. In 1994 the show changed the title to ‘Ellen’, and it was the perfect platform for Ellen’s big reveal.
All her life she had kept her sexuality a secret but she no longer wanted to live in fear. She made a bold decision to come out publicly on her television show. It was the first time a sitcom would have an openly gay star, was the public ready to embrace Ellen’s truth?
Shelton Saved By Warner Brothers
The same year Shelton was lighting up the billboard charts his record label went under. He was panicked and distressed until Warner Brothers picked him up. They quickly realized his star quality and released his debut album the same year.
Shelton was feeling untouchable. His hard work was finally paying off but his life was about to go down a rollercoaster of emotion. It would take the strain of two public relationships for him to end up sitting across from Ellen. Was everything about to be wasted due to his personal life?
The Consequences Of Coming Out
Even though the show received a lot of support for Ellen’s bravery, they began to lose corporate sponsors. A few television stations refused to air the scene and Ellen became the focus on jokes and late-night interviews.
She had risked so much to finally embrace who she was but the world wasn’t ready. She went into the shadows until her daytime television show in 2003. Did she hold a grudge against the world from this treatment? Was she taking it out on her innocent guests?
Country Music Royalty
Shelton began to date fellow musician Miranda Lambert in 2006. Both of their careers were on the rise and they started to release duets. In 2011 the pair married in a glamorous and country-themed wedding.
It wasn’t all bright lights and happy endings. The same year as their wedding Shelton accepted a job on the show ‘The Voice’. The couple was going to have to adapt to long-distance. Would their vows hold up under the pressure?
Ellen's One Love
Ellen had a few publicized romances but when she met her future wife Portia de Rossi in December 2004, she knew she had found the one. When California legalized gay marriage the pair wasted no time and had a lavish ceremony in 2008.
Their romance has been the focus of speculation throughout the years as Portia’s career stopped and Ellen’s star only got brighter. What was happening behind closed doors with the couple? Was Ellen's manipulative nature causing a strain?
The Allegations Are True
While Shelton was working on ‘The Voice’ rumors began to circulate he was involved with singer Cady Groves. Although he denied the allegations, they were eventually confirmed and Lambert filed for divorce in 2015.
Shelton received a lot of bad press during the divorce and he wasn’t expecting to ever fall in love again. To everyone’s surprise, the next love of his life was sitting beside him the entire time. With this new romance, Shelton vowed to be more private and he wasn’t going to let anyone interfere.
At First, She Was Golden
In the beginning of Ellen’s show, she would occasionally put her celebrity guests in uncomfortable positions. She developed a reputation as a straight shooter comedian. Audience members noticed several stars were uncomfortable but Ellen got away with it.
She had especially cringe interviews with young stars Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber. Why would Ellen pick on such young entertainers? She loved to highlight their relationship issues. She wouldn’t get away with that when Blake was on her show!
Ellen & Taylor Swift
When Taylor Swift was promoting her new album ‘Red’ Ellen kept steering the conversation back to her dating life. At one point Ellen put up different images of male celebrities and told Swift to hit a buzzer if they had inspired one of her hit singles.
Swift was getting more uncomfortable by the second and even told Ellen, “ my song's meanings are the one shred of dignity I have left." Would a professional interviewer really make her guests this uncomfortable? See what happens when she attacks Justin Bieber in a different interview!
Ellen & Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is a child star that has continued to grow into an accomplished adult performer. He has made several appearances on The Ellen Show and she always brings up her love life. As someone who has already met their soulmate, why does she go so hard on single young celebrities?
At one point, Ellen even had paparazzi photos up around Justin and he asked her, “Why are you putting me on the spot like this?" When Ellen had singer Blake Shelton on her show she expected him to let her say whatever she wanted. He had very different plans that left the audience speechless.
It Started Off Uncomfortable
From the very beginning, Ellen was set on making Shelton uncomfortable. In 2017 he had earned People’s Magazine title of Sexiest Man Alive, but it now belonged to his co-star John Legend. No one likes to be reminded of losing a title but Ellen was rubbing salt in the wound.
As she made fun of Shelton for being kind and letting Legend take the title it was obvious tensions was rising. Would Ellen change the subject or was she going to tease until it was too late?
Shelton Starts By Joking Around
When Ellen wouldn’t let it drop that Shelton had been replaced, he smiled and told Ellen that the magazine “had to put a new issue out”. It was already clear through Shelton’s body language that he was uncomfortable but Ellen was relentless.
She sat facing him and seemed innocent, but behind her blue eyes and brown blazer, she was calculating her next move. As she poked and prodded Shelton was beginning to think this was intentional. What came out of Ellen’s mouth next proved him right.
“Let’s Talk About Gwen”
From a nosedive of an interview, Ellen finally decided it was time to change the topic. She could have brought up Shelton’s professional success or new music but instead, she chose to go big and bold.
Ellen looked at Blake and said, “Let’s Talk About Gwen”, and the whole studio audience gasped in surprise. Shelton was notoriously protective about his relationship with singer Gwen Stefani. After Ellen’s relentless teasing it didn’t look like he was in a mood to discuss his personal life.
Gwen’s Rocky Road To Love
Before Gwen Stefani met her cowboy cutie on ‘The Voice’ she was a punk princess married to a rock god! Her first husband was singer Gavin Rossdale. The couple was married for 13 years and had 3 children together.
News broke that Gavin had been unfaithful to Gwen and she also went through a public breakup. When she joined the cast of ‘The Voice’ in 2014 her heart was broken and she was incredibly vulnerable. How would this show heal her broken soul?
They Started As Friends
Since Gwen and Blake had both gone through two public divorces they were quick to become friends. It was extremely hard to be in the public eye with a broken heart and they began to lean on each other.
Even though they met in 2014, they were not romantically connected until 2015. This caused even more drama since Gwen’s divorce wasn’t finalized. She was officially divorced in 2016 and the couple embraced being in the spotlight, but with a few rules.
They Didn’t Want To Repeat Past Mistakes
A lot of their romance was happening in front of a national audience due to being on a television show. They knew they couldn’t control that but they still had to carve out a bit of privacy if this was going to work.
Instead of being too open with their personal lives, they began to pour their love into duets. The first duet they performed was the song “Go Ahead And Break My Heart”, which they wrote together. Everywhere fans were shocked- their voices sounded amazing together! Would this be a pitch-perfect romance?
Shelton Was Saved
In an interview with Billboard magazine Shelton had this to say about his new relationship. “Gwen saved my life. Who else on earth could understand going through a high-profile divorce from another musician? You can't even imagine the similarities in our divorce."
Shelton was clearly swept up in the romance, glitz, and glam of dating Gwen but did she feel the same way? It would all be revealed when Gwen sat down with Ellen in a memorable interview. Would the sweet singer hold her own against the ruthless talk show host?
Engagement Rumours
Gwen was a guest on the Ellen show in 2018. The singer was mainly there to discuss her upcoming residency but the host had other plans for the interview. As Gwen attempted to steer the conversation away, Ellen made a bold claim.
At this point we know Ellen masks everything with humor but how would Gwen handle such a blunt statement. Ellen directly said to Gwen, "I'm just confirming what the tabloids are saying, which is that y'all are getting married." Even though she was smiling, Gwen felt a chill in the air.
A Graceful Excuse
Gwen admitted she thinks about marriage but both stars were enjoying where they were in the relationship. For now, the stars were happy to continue dating and creating magical duets together. They were smitten and it was paying off in record sales.
Gwen and Blake went on to release more music and Gwen told talk show host Andy Cohen she values their different musical backgrounds. When speaking about her beau she said, “He knows every single song forever, he’s incredible like that. But I just love that we’re from different genres.” What could interfere with this happiness?
Blake Was In The Hot Seat
A year after Gwen was on the show, Blake was being interviewed by Ellen and he was struggling to maintain his composure. After she had made fun of him losing his ‘Sexiest Man Alive' title, no one knew what to expect.
Ellen did give Blake a break and brought up his exciting accomplishments. The singer had just won a People's Choice Award and the CMA Single of The Year. Was this interview saved? Would Ellen be kinder to her guest for the rest of the interview?
Quick Topic Change
Ellen was being cordial and praising Shelton’s accomplishments until the topic changed to the upcoming Grammy award ceremony. Nominations had just been released and Ellen reminded her audience Blake had received a nomination.
Right after she congratulated him for the nomination she did one thing that shocked producers and fans everywhere. If Blake wasn’t losing his temper before, this last comment was sure to send him over the edge.
How Many Times Have You Been Nominated?
Just when it seemed the interview was going in a positive direction. Ellen gave Blake a back-handed compliment. “How many times have you been nominated?” It was very specific to highlight that Blake has yet to win.
Blake Shelton has actually been nominated a total of 8 times and still has not won. He was visibly taken aback by the wording but thought he could catch Ellen off guard. Unfortunately, this host was more prepared than anyone assumed.
Trying To Turn It Around
Shelton figured the only way he could beat Ellen was to join her. He attempted to embarrass the host by asking how many times she had been nominated for a Grammy, assuming her answer would be never.
To everyone's surprise, the host acknowledged that she had been nominated for a Grammy that year. It would be her first nomination. Blake tried to contain his surprise, but he needed to know. How did a talk show host get nominated for a Grammy?
A Comedy Album
The Grammys have a diverse range of categories and Ellen was nominated for her comedy album titled, ‘Relatable’. The comedian had put her Netflix special onto an album and been well received by her peers.
If she spent her life making people laugh, why did Ellen also succeed in making people feel small? It was just a matter of time before she struck out against Shelton again, and this time there was even a clock to count the minutes.
Was This An Innocent Gift?
On one of Blake's last appearances, Ellen had attempted to give him a gift. The host was known for her unique gifts and this one wasn’t an exception. Blake didn’t think he would ever see it again, but Ellen refused to take no for an answer.
It was a clock decorated with a picture of Gwen kissing Blake. The sentiment was sweet but it came with a catch from the conniving host. When she first gave the clock to Blake he was thrilled, then he found out what it really meant.
Tick Tock - Make It Stop
When Ellen gave Blake the clock she told him it was a countdown clock for an engagement with Gwen Stefani. This was such a sensitive subject since both stars were more focused on their careers than walking down the aisles again.
Blake tried one more time to embarrass Ellen. He said when he walked backstage, her staff took the clock from him. She was shocked! Would he get away with highlighting her cheap tactics for views?
The Same Clock Different Picture
What Blake was saying was actually true. On that segment, Jennifer Lopez received the clock after him and received the same interrogation from Ellen on when she would get engaged. The audience couldn’t keep up with the tension!
Ellen managed to have the last laugh with this prop. Jennifer Lopez had actually gotten engaged since “receiving” the gift. The sweetest final words Blake could muster was about the picture and not his uncomfortable host.
She Has His Heart
As Blake looked at the clock again and couldn’t believe that Ellen had given it to a different celebrity he took a minute to appreciate how stunning his girlfriend was. Going back to their earlier conversation about the sexiest host on ‘The Voice’.
Blake said naturally, “She’s actually the sexiest coach on The Voice now that I think about it, isn’t she”. Ellen finally agreed with her guest and even went so far as to say how much she likes to see the two of them together. What will Blake say to this shocking comment?
Would He Ever Do It?
Recently, Ellen had been allowing different celebrities to do a guest host position on her show. It was unlike the comedian to relinquish control but it seemed to drive ratings and keep audiences entertained.
After this uncomfortable interview, would Blake even want to come back? His response actually had one of his darkest secrets. How would Ellen receive the rejection? Would she realize how sensitive his truthful response was?
Was He Being Truthful?
Ellen asked Blake if he would consider hosting an episode of her show, and he quickly tried to find a way to say no politely. What he decided on saying made the audience see him in a vulnerable and kind light.
Blake bashfully admitted, “I can’t read very good,” but Ellen was not prepared to take no for an answer. There was one thing that Blake had to say before he left the show and this conversation was giving him the perfect opportunity.
Calling Her Out In Front Of Everyone
As Ellen began to list the reasons why Blake should host, she said that if reading is difficult he could go with the flow and just make up his questions or banter. As she finished she said that's what she does, and Blake knew it was now or never.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Blake quickly said, “And embarrass people”. Highlighting that Ellen did it intentionally. She did admit with a smile that “I am good at embarrassing people too”. The audience was in stitches laughing, and it was definitely at the host for once!
She Finally Got What She Wanted
Even though the audience was in stitches, the banter seemed playful. Ellen took this chance to ask Blake again about guest hosting, and he realized he was backed into a corner. In a quiet reluctance, he finally agreed.
In one breath he was saying “sure” but in the next, he was pointing a finger at Ellen and exclaiming, “You don’t like to work any more than I do. I know what you're doing.” Almost to reassure himself, Blake whispered, “I know what you’re doing.” This interview was almost over but did Ellen have anything else up her sleeve?
One Last Opportunity
Ellen couldn’t resist getting one last dig at Shelton before the interview wrapped up. She said it’s great that he would host and he would have so much fun. He could have anyone he wanted on the show, including the special lady in his life.
As a parting gift, Ellen loudly exclaimed, “You could propose to her here.” The audience went wild with applause and it was finally time for these celebrities to go their separate ways. Shelton eventually did propose and marry Gwen in 2021. He definitely did not do it on the Ellen show either!