The Voice
"The Voice" coaches (L-R) Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and Pharrell Williams, took the stage on Nov. 9 for the first live performance round of Season 9. It was the first time on the stage since Stefani and Shelton announced they're a couple. Tyler Golden/NBC

It’s been a whirlwind romance for surprise celebrity couple Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani as they took to “The Voice” Season 9 stage live for the first time amid a firestorm of controversy. Although they kept things pretty professional, those who attended the live event say the real sparks happened behind-the-scenes.

It’s worth mentioning that the first live performance night on NBC’s “The Voice” was strapped for airtime. With 12 contestants singing for a spot in the next round, there was precious little time for the coaches to interact with each other on air. In fact, the only moment between the new couple that made it to the screen was when Shelton complimented Stefani on her artist lineup for the evening, saying how it’s fun to see her performers blow Adam Levine’s out of the water. However, that was really more of a classic Shelton v. Levine dig than it was a moment between the newly announced couple.

However, according to a report from Entertainment Tonight, the real noteworthy events between Shelton and Stefani happened during the commercial breaks when the cameras weren’t rolling. The outlet reports that Shelton routinely got up from his chair to go speak to Stefani by hers. Those who watch the singing competition know they’re separated by Pharrell Williams’ seat. Shelton and Stefani seemed to be having fun by taking selfies with one another, but never engaged in anything that could be considered a public display of affection. Just the occasional glance and arm squeeze. It seems they’re hoping to keep their romance professional for the time being, and make the NBC singing competition about the music for the early rounds. Still, when the live show was over, they allegedly left together.

In short, those that tuned into night one of “The Voice” Season 9 live performances hoping to see some sparks between the two were likely disappointed. It would have been hard to tell that the two are romantic if they hadn’t admitted it days prior. Before appearing at the CMA Awards, Shelton’s rep confirmed to the media that he has started dating his fellow “The Voice” coach just months after his highly publicized split from wife of four years, Miranda Lambert.

Fortunately for fans of the country and rock pairing, there’s plenty of time left in the season for them to acknowledge their relationship on live TV as “The Voice” continues with its competition. Let’s just hope the duo ends up going head-to-head in the final rounds as they try to crown one of their artists as the winner in the 2015/2016 season.

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